Does being grateful really change your brain?

Being grateful can literally act as a natural anti-depressant and create the same effects of medications by creating feelings of contentment. When ask ourselves the question "What am I grateful for?", certain neurocircuits are activated that increases dopamine and serotonin. This is an example of Hebb's Law, meaning that “neurons that fire together wire together." The application of this in our everyday lives are that we instruct or programme our brains by telling our subconscious what to focus on. It is almost like installing a television dish and telling it what signals to pick up. As soon as we have taught our brain to focus on the things we are grateful for, the easier our subconscious find positive things on a daily basis.

Collateral Beauty

In the movie Collateral Beauty, Will Smith plays the role of a father who lost his six-year old girl to a rare disease. He then questions his very own existence and starts an internal battle with the three things that every person cares about: Time, Love and Death. Everyone wants more time, everybody seeks to be loved and every person fear’s death.

What cults and great companies have in common...

What does cults and great companies have in common? They create a culture that is so tight-knit, so difficult to fit in, but when you are an insider it becomes almost impossible to leave. Great companies, as with cults, do not only create a set of values and call it their culture, they create an ideology, then indoctrinate their employees, reinforces it and then - everyone who is hesitant to become an insider are ejected like a virus.

Die nommer een aanduier van 'n huwelik wat hou

Die nommer een aanduier van 'n huwelik wat gaan hou, is - hoe goed julle met mekaar kan baklei. Navorsers kan redelik akkuraat voorspel watter huwelike die toets van tyd gaan deurstaan en wie 'n ernstige speek in die wiel gaan kry halfpad deur. Ons vermoeë om konflik te hanteer het 'n drastiese effek op die gesondheid van ons huwelik.

Design your day: 17 Ways to take charge of your time

If we manage our finances, our emotions and manage other people, their time and sometimes even their money, then isn't it time we manage our personal lives? Here is 17 things you can do today to increase your productivity and ensure that you manage your greatest asset - you:

The "WHY" of what you do

Simon Sinek explains that the reason Apple's message is stronger than that of Dell for example, is because Apple first sells why they are doing what they're doing, then how they are doing it and lastly what the are selling. The same is true for every decision we make in our personal life. Instead of continuously looking at what is in front of us and what we can do about it we should  rather start by asking "why". For example:

Here's why Big Hairy Audacious Goals matter

The Boeing 747 prototype displayed to the public in 1968

Jim Collins, author of Built to Last, suggest that those who have Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) are more likely to be successful. Bob Galvin, a previous CEO of Motorola, said "at times we must engage in an act of faith that key things are doable that are not prove-able." Take the moon landing mission for example, President Kennedy said in 1961 that before the decade is out, we will land a man on the moon. That is certainly a BHAG. They did not go into a boardroom and tried to figure out how the vision and the mission will look like if they want to spend $549 billion on a space programme, because the goal in itself was easy to understand. July 20, 1969, President Nixon announced that the first man landed on the moon. This BHAG was so audacious that it was bigger that just one leader, and the mission did'nt lose momentum when the presidency changed. BHAG change the way that people are motivated, and here is how such a goal should look like:

The leadership paradox and the power of the AND

F. Scott Fitzgerald said that the test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. People are pushed to believe that things are either A or B, but not both. The same is true for leadership. A rational view that cannot easily accept paradox, is the idea that "great leaders lead from the front AND the back".

It is the same paradox we find in many other statements such as "you can have change AND stability"; you can be conservative AND bold; you can have low cost AND quality, you can have creative autonomy AND consistency and control; you can invest in the future AND do well in the short term; you can have self-confidence AND put the needs of others in front of your own.

Be a clock builder, not a time teller

In the book of Jim Collins "Built to last - successful habits of visionary companies" he explains that it is more important to be a clock builder than a time teller. This is a useful analogy simply because we all make the same mistake by trying to guess what the next big thing will be or over extending ourselves to develop products. Being a clock builder means to build a system or a structure that allows great things to happen. For example, if your company does not have a leadership programme to develop next generation leaders, it's not busy with clock building.

The company itself is the ultimate creation

The company is not a vehicle for products but the products is a vehicle for the company. Sony Corporation for example was started with a few core values and a clear vision, without even knowing which products they were going to sell.

How to increase your willpower

Willpower is a muscle like any other, and with the right skills this muscle can be trained. Willpower comes down to the ability to direct our attention and focus from things that give us instant gratification (chocolate brownies), to things that are more useful in the future (better waste-line). Willpower is not only something we can learn, but is something many people have not developed thoroughly between ages two and eight. Here's what you should know about how willpower works:

Three of the best debates ever - and what you can learn from them

Debating is not about having the most logical argument, not upsetting your audience or being able to convince your opponent. Debating is about telling the better story, not being boring and evoking one single emotion that your audience will remember. 

Here are 3 examples of the best debating styles ever:

Fokus geselsprogram op Pretoria FM

Luister hier na Charl Oberholzer, die programleier, en sy span: Prof. Koos Malan, Flip Buys en Heinrich Matthee, wat saampraat oor die volgende onderwerpe:  die SAUK, Monitor, Hlaudi, ens.;  Universiteite en Afrikaans;  Tswane-politiek en politieke geweld in aanloop tot verkiesing;  en Helpende Hand Skole-ondersteuningsentrum en die Wiskunde-onderwyskonferensie.  Die buitelandse fokus val op die Europese Unie in die lig van Brexit, waar Henrich Matthee se deelname aan die program hoofsaaklik op hierdie punt val. Dit is ‘n breë gesprek, maar die idee is om te probeer oordeel hoe die lyne getrek word en watter politieke kragte na vore tree.  Die Istandboel-bomme word ook bespreek.

Leierskapsles uit 1911 se Suid-Pool resies

Links: Ronald Amundsen. Regs: Robert Scott

In Jim Collins se boek Great by Choice verduidelik hy die teenstellings van die twee leiers. Ronald Amundson het in 1899 in voorbereiding 2000 myl met sy fiets tussen Noorwee en Spanje afgelê. Hy het met rou dolfynvleis eksperimenteer as 'n moontlike bron van energie. In sy voorbereiding het hy 'n pelgrimstog saam die Eskimo's meegemaak en so geleer om 'n slee met honde te trek. Hy het geleer dat honde minder sweet as ander diere en daarom minder oortollige sweet het wat in ys kan verander. En aangesien honde vleis eet gee dit hom die opsie om van die honde tydens sy Suid-Pool ekspedisie op te offer vir die ander honde. By Eskimo's het hy ook geleer om duk velle te dra wat los sit, om te help dat die vog verdamp en nie aan die klere vassit nie. Wat Amundson gedoen het is om nie te wag tot hy in die Suid-Pool is om sy probleme op te los nie, hy het voorbereidings getref vir enige scenario en seker gemaak hy doen voor die tyd reeds alles wat nodig is.

Bou só vertroue in die werksplek

Om werklik vertroue met jou kollegas, jou werknemers, jou kinders of vriende te bou moet ons eerstens verstaan wat in iemand se brein plaasvind wanneer hulle ons nie vertrou nie, en dan wat ons kan doen om vertroue te wen. Hoekom is vertroue belangrik? Verhoudings waar vertroue die vertrekpunt is stel bestuurders in staat om gemotiveerde werknemers te hê, ouers om beter verhoudings met hulle kinders te hê en maak van destruktiewe verhoudings konstruktiewe sukses stories.

6 Bronne van Invloed: Hoe leiers mense moet motiveer

Minder as een in agt maatskappye se "programme vir verandering" is suksesvol. Minder as 10% van ons wat probeer gewig verloor, binne ons begroting bly of slegte gewoontes afksud, kry dit reg. Twee derdes van misdadigers wat vrygelaat word uit "korrektiewe dienste" eindig weer binne drie jaar daar op. Geen wonder ons vat maar die raad van David Sedaris wat gesê het: "Ek het nie 'n idee hoe om mense te verander nie, maar ek hou steeds rekord van 'n lang lys voornemende kandidate net vir ingeval ek dit ooit regkry."

In die boek Influencer - the new science of leading change deur Kerry Patterson en Joseph Granny word daar verduidelik dat invloed in drie stappe uitgeoefen word, naamlik:

1. Fokus en meet
2. Identifiseer sleutel gedrag
3. Aktiveer die 6 bronne van invloed

Leiers wat weet hoe om invloed uit te oefen is 100% seker oor wat hulle wil verander, wat hulle daardeur wil bereik en het 'n manier ingedagte oor hoe hulle dit kan meet. Dan kyk hulle na twee of drie sleutel gedragspatrone wat verander moet word om die uitkoms te kry wat hulle soek. Sodra hulle dit weet, kry hulle sisteme in plek om deurentyd dié 6 bronne van invloed te aktiveer:

5 Lesse vir meer geluk

Shawn Achor, 'n dosent aan die Harvard Universiteit en wenner van 'n reeks toekennings oor sy bevindings in die veld van sielkunde, het die boek "The happiness advantage" geskryf. In verskeie onderhoude wat met hom gevoer is beskryf hy waarom "positiewe denke" nie net eenvoudig 'n ongegronde, impulsiewe aanmaning van jou ouers is wat net moeg is vir jou negatiwiteit nie. Maar, dat werknemers se geluksvlak 'n wesenlike effek het op maatskappye se sukses, winste, verhoudings en kultuur. Hier is 'n opsomming vanuit onderskeie onderhoude met Achor:

6 Jim Rohn quotes that will change the way you do business

Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, speaker and business philosopher made 6 quotes that can truly change the intention with which we approach our work. Whether it is to teach your team some new insights and give them a lesson of the week, or if you are going through a tough time in your career, try these presuppositions on:

1. "Work harder on yourself than on your job."
2. "Success is something you attract by becoming an attractive person, not something you pursue."
3. "Beware of what the you become in pursuit of what you want."
4. "Don't wish it was easier, wish you we're better! Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom."
5. "You can't start something without finishing it first" [begin with the end in mind]
6. Profits are better than wages, wages make you a living, profits make you a fortune."

Solving problems faster

We all have moments where we try and figure out how we should increase sales without changing the price, deciding how we can build our personal wealth, struggling with a new business idea or simply trying to find a solution to a relationship problem. But how can you get to that new insight without having to sleep on it or go on a vacation?

What makes it more difficult is that 35% of people have their best creative moments in the early morning but when they go to work it drops to 8% and doesn’t go back up. According to David Rock, co-founder of the Neuro Leadership Institute, the open plan at work can further drop your productivity with 15%, which creates even more anxiety to complete your tasks and find solutions to problems you are constantly rolling around in your mind. With endless advise we all get on productivity, being more creative and finding solutions quicker, what is the key elements to consider when deciding how you spend your time when faced with difficult decisions or complex problems? Here’s a few:

Programming memories

Higher performing leaders have higher emotional intelligence than leaders who do not perform that well. Studies in the past few years have advocated the importance of developing emotional intelligence abilities such as self-awareness, social awareness, self management and relationship skills.

Finding new alternatives

When we encounter conflicting viewpoints with a colleague at work, a family member, a political party or even with other religions the automatic reaction for many of us is fight or flight. We either decide to go on the offence and try and prove our point no matter the result or we choose to ignore the viewpoint. Any conflicting viewpoint we throw into a mental box buried somewhere in our mind, gathering dust with all the other ‘undesirable’ viewpoints. We immediately go into a defense mode because we automatically view the other person’s viewpoint as wrong. We see conflict as transactional rather than transformational. We want to transact our way through an issue while the underlying problem is rather the relationship between ourselves and the other party.