By Eleanor Shakiba Videos resilience 0 Comments

Resilient leaders are NOT so tough they don’t need support.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Leaders who cope with challenges on their own experience more stress. If you can’t find a satisfactory solution, you may also become discouraged. These emotions are also likely to trigger imposter syndrome. So, what should you do instead? Collaborate. Ask for help. Smart leaders know to offload some of their burdens when they feel stressed. Learn more in this week’s article on why coping alone isn’t a trait of a resilient leader.

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By Eleanor Shakiba Impact Interesting Articles 0 Comments

This is the science of building happy teams

How does the science of happiness relate to managers, business owners and supervisors? According to an interesting article in Harvard Magazine, it’s all about creating a positive work environment. The article summarises a study that found happy people are more productive and take fewer sick days than those who are languishing or unhappy. It also points out that when people experience positive emotions at work, they are more likely to be innovative and come up with new ideas.

So how can you – as a positive leader – create turn the science into practical action? Here’s what the authors of The Science of Happiness suggest.

 Express appreciation and gratitude

Regularly give feedback on performance and express gratitude. Remember rewards can be social and emotional, as well as financial. And, of course, show people that you care about them as individuals, not just employees.

 

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Encourage interaction

Help people to work together and share ideas. This makes each person feel part of a larger community. Allow people to spend social time and relax together, too. This builds team spirit and helps beat stress before it sets in.

Link goals to a higher purpose
Too many managers focus on business outcomes, rather than higher purpose. Yet the evidence is clear: connecting your goals to something that matters is the way to make people in your business thrive. Make sure everyone knows not only what they are meant to do, but how their efforts will make a difference.

Foster trust

Show that you care about your people by listening to their ideas and being open to new ways of doing things. Make sure everyone has the tools, resources and support they need to do their jobs well. Make feedback an everyday occurrence. And monitor your positivity ratios. The more positive moments your people experience, the more trust will gro.

If you’re a business owner or supervisor, these are all things that should be on your to do list. Every day.  They’re not part of the HR plan or an annual appraisal system. They’re simple habits that will make your business thrive.

Find out more in the original article here: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2007/01/the-science-of-happiness.html

This article summary was created by Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a leadership trainer, success coach and people skills expert. She helps managers and business owners build thriving teams and organisations, using tools from Positive Psychology. She's trained more than 60,000 people during her career as a corporate trainer and professional development consultant. Her mission is inspiring talented people to become leaders who make a difference. 

 

By Eleanor Shakiba Impact tips 0 Comments

3 reasons I love teaching NLP to leaders.

I’ve taught NLP to thousands of leaders over the past 25 years, but I never grow tired of doing it. That’s because NLP is practical, creative and versatile. It’s ideally suited to leadership development, because it helps high achievers power up their influence, credibility and impact in no time at all. Plus, it’s best taught in groups – which means you get the benefit of peer support when you add NLP to your leadership toolkit. You can learn more about why all leaders should have a strong peer support group in this week’s video.

Are you toying with the thought of learning NLP? Well, here are three reasons to pursue that idea!

Reason 1: NLP compresses a lot of wisdom into an easy-to-digest format

That’s because NLP is based on the principle of modelling. Put simply, modelling involves studying the thinking and behaviour patterns of highly successful people. The aim of this exercise is to create a handy ‘how to’ guide for replicating their success. It’s like creating a recipe for your favourite cake by watching a master chef in action.

Reason 2: NLP helps you move beyond fear, limiting beliefs and outdated habits

Using NLP, I’ve helped leaders beat imposter syndrome, beat crippling fear of failure, give up smoking and overcome stage fright. This is possible because NLP is versatile. Working with a skilled NLP practitioner means you can experience rapid, powerful change and truly step into the zone of bold leadership.

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Reason 3: NLP is heaps of fun!

Yes, you read that right! Learning NLP is an opportunity to develop your leadership strengths and have fun at the same time. What sort of fun? The joy of connecting with like-minded people (I still hang out with the people with whom I learned NLP 30 years ago). The excitement of uncovering your hidden potential. The adrenaline rush of solving a problem that’s been plaguing you for years. These are all rewards you can reap with NLP – and if you’re a leader it’s important to enjoy what you do. Leadership can be stressful, so using NLP is a way to reprogram your brain. After all, the brain that can learn to be stressed out can also learn to be chilled out. My latest blog article summarises some important research on how you brain does this.

So yes. You should invest time learning NLP! It’s practical, creative and versatile. Plus, it has a track record that goes back over 40 years. Thousands of savvy leaders use NLP every day. Why not join them?

By Eleanor Shakiba Impact tips 0 Comments

Self-care when you don’t have time.

We all know self-care is important, but when you’re short on time and energy, it seems impossible to take even a few minutes for yourself. Sometimes, it might even feel self-indulgent or selfish to take time out. Watch this week’s video to find out why this is NOT the case.

If you’ve been feeling over-committed or time-poor lately, I want to share my favourite story with you. It’s the story of a busy executive who visits the Dalai Lama. The executive explains how time-poor and stressed out he is. The Dalai Lama listens and then advises the executive to meditate for an hour a day.

‘Meditate for an hour a day?’ yells the executive. ‘I don’t have time for that!’

‘Ah yes’, replies the Dalai Lama, ‘I understand. In that case, for you I will make an exception. YOU must meditate for three hours a day’.

Here are three important things I think this story teaches us.

Lesson 1: When you’re too busy to rest, it’s time to rest more

When self-care has been off the menu for a while, it’s vital to bring it back.

The busy executive wasn’t ready to meditate for an hour a day, but that was exactly what he needed to do. Your brain needs downtime. For example when you meditate, the parts of your brain associated with self-interest, self-consciousness and self-protection slow down. This makes it easier for you to relax. When you sleep, your brain sheds toxic proteins that built up during the day. It also clears the way for new brain cells to grow.

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Lesson 2: Be playful

If you’ve ever seen the Dalai Lama in action, you’ll know he’s playful and quirky. His mischievous sense of humour reminds us that self-care is supposed to be fun. As one of my coaching clients recently said, self-care should be ‘a way to brighten the corners of my world’. When you’re overworked or overextended life can start to feel grey and dull. It’s self-care that brings some colour back into your world.

Lesson 3: Taking it easy has health benefits

Back to the story: self-care isn’t selfish. When you don’t take it easy, you’re actually doing yourself harm. For example, your cortisol levels rise and increase inflammation in your body. This is bad for your brain, bad for your heart and bad for your mood. So, give yourself permission to slow down. Stop beating yourself up or expecting yourself to stick to a hellish schedule. Find out more about the health benefits of self-compassion easily in my recent blog article Surprising Health Benefits of Going Easy on Yourself.

By Eleanor Shakiba Videos resilience 0 Comments

Self-caring or selfish? Resilient leaders know the difference

Attention busy leaders. Putting your needs first isn’t selfish and you SHOULD be doing it. Caring for yourself means you can focus better, solve problems more effectively and thrive under pressure. Successful leaders understand the importance of self-care. It’s difficult to lead others when you don’t care for yourself. Self-care helps you think more clearly. It gives you the ability to deal with stressful situations. Explore the difference between selfish and self-caring. Learn how Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help you keep your mind and habits in peak performance mode – without sending you into the territory of stress and burnout.

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By Eleanor Shakiba Impact Interesting Articles 0 Comments

Is burnout really job related depression?

Feeling burnt out? Depression may be at the root of the problem. An analysis completed by Swiss scientists found that depression and burnout are closely linked. Depression may lead to burnout and vice versa. In fact, burnout may simply be a form of depression. Understanding the connection between the two makes the situation easier to address.

So, does depression cause burnout? It’s complicated. An analysis of 14 studies completed by Swiss researchers found that burnout and depression share symptoms. Based on their findings, the researchers believe that burnout may not be a distinct syndrome. For it to be a separate syndrome, a mental issue needs to be mostly associated with distinct symptoms.

Researchers identified three specific symptoms of burnout: exhaustion, detachment, and low professional efficacy. Efficacy is your belief in your ability to bring about change. Researchers then reviewed 14 studies involving 12,417 participants. The findings showed that the symptoms of burnout were more closely related to depression.

For example, exhaustion was more closely associated with symptoms of depression than with the other symptoms of burnout. Symptoms of depression include fatigue, low mood, irritability, and interpersonal distancing. People who reported feeling exhausted were more likely to experience these symptoms instead of detachment or low efficacy. This indicates that burnout may not be a separate issue.

The researchers point out that the findings shouldn’t lead people to dismiss burnout. It’s a real issue that likely affects millions of people, especially high achievers. The goal of the research was to help burnout receive the same concern given to depression. The same steps used to combat depression in the workplace may also help fight burnout. The group of researchers recommend that changes to workplace policies may provide relief. However, you also have the power to relieve yourself of stress.

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Positive psychology offers many solutions for combating depression, including NLP. Neuro-linguistic programming involves developing strategies for gaining better control of your emotions. You can fight depression with positivity. High-achieving professionals can benefit from increased mental stamina and resilience. Some of the most common techniques include meta-modelling and reframing.

Meta-modelling helps you question generalisations, distortions, and deletions. These types of thoughts limit happiness and increase anxiety. NLP meta-modelling challenges these thoughts to alter your thinking patterns. Reframing helps you change your perception of specific thoughts or behaviours. For example, you can find hope in previously hopeless situations. You achieve this by positively reframing feelings or events.

Along with meta-modelling and reframing, I’d recommend meditation and relaxation techniques. NLP can help you achieve a more relaxed state. A relaxed mind provides better emotional regulation. You may find the previous techniques easier to practice with a clear mind.

Depression and burnout both lead to detachment, low professional efficacy, and exhaustion. These symptoms also lead to negative thoughts that keep you from finding a way out. I can help you replace negativity with positivity through effective NLP techniques. To learn more, view my one-to-one coaching services and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au

By Eleanor Shakiba Videos resilience 0 Comments

Burnout is NOT caused by stress

Attention busy managers. You can thrive despite your high workloads and challenging problems. Being in a demanding job doesn’t mean you’ll burn out. Don’t believe the myth that burnout is caused by stress. Find out what DOES cause it – and how to smart leaders can build mental stamina and thrive.  Hear how to stay motivated and inspired, by using NLP techniques to restore your leadership mojo.

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Is your stress really anticipatory grief?

Stress sometimes comes out of nowhere. You may find that you’ve recently become easily distracted or angry for seemingly no reason. In some cases, this stress may come from grief. Over the past couple of years, the world has experienced collective grief. According to one expert, everyone should understand the stages of grief to better navigate post-pandemic life.

Editors from the Harvard Business Review recently interviewed David Kessler, the leading expert on grief. The article covers Kessler’s thoughts on the importance of acknowledging grief. He points out that grief doesn’t just occur from the death of a loved one. Grief can occur when things in your life change, such as a change of careers. The anticipation of change or loss can also cause grief.

Anticipatory grief is the grief that occurs from the anticipation of loss. It’s a common feeling that typically occurs when the future is uncertain. Kessler believes that everyone should acknowledge the five stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance. Acceptance allows you to move forward with less weight on your shoulders. You can build greater confidence and resilience.

Kessler also explains that anticipatory grief is really just anxiety. You’re anxious about the future. Focusing on the present can help ease these anxieties. He also recommends letting go of what you can’t control. This makes it easier to focus on what you can control in the present.

Along with control, Kessler believes in the importance of compassion. Showing compassion for yourself and others can help reduce fear and grief. It’s also important to keep trying. The stages of grief can occur in any order. There’ll be times when your negative feelings are too great. Instead of falling into a pit of despair, keep showing compassion and control.

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NLP offers several powerful methods for dealing with grief and related symptoms. NLP takes positive psychology to another level by helping you understand and control emotions. You can look for positive outcomes where you previously only saw negative ones. Common techniques for grief, fear, and anxiety include reframing, anchoring, and discovering positive intent.

Reframing is useful for finding opportunities in situations that previously brought grief. You can find the silver lining in anything by reframing it with a positive outlook. With reframing, you identify a thought you want to change. You then look for positive intentions to reframe your thoughts. Anchoring is another technique that puts you in control of your emotions. It is a form of conditioning that helps you trigger specific responses in stressful situations. For example, you can learn to recall a favourite memory when a stressful event occurs.

Fear of losing something can lead to profound stress and limit your mental stamina. NLP provides solutions for dealing with each stage of grief, allowing the stress to melt away. You can learn to let go of the past and gain greater acceptance. To learn more, explore my one-to-one coaching services and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au