Create Your OWN MBA by building your own learning, collaboration & movement. Do you find you are learning little about a lot of things, but not a lot about things that make a difference?
How often do you find yourself scrolling through social media, glancing over emails, listening to random podcast episodes and skimming through LinkedIn or other articles? Are you actually drilling deep into areas or topics that you can really benefit from, and making them stick?
If you think about a speaker, musician, dancer, athlete, singer or even artist, they spend hours of deliberate practice honing their craft. Wouldn’t it be wise if you did the same for your career or enhancing your expertise?
Create Your OWN MBA
It’s time for you to build your own learning, collaboration & movement. Develop out a personal development plan. Your own personal MBA of how you will upgrade a skill or set of skills so you have the competency and confidence to be a thought leader, expert authority or just to advance your career or depth of knowledge. How can you self-knowledge , self-learn, self-understand and self-actualise?
You are probably thinking, how do I start to Create Your OWN MBA? Here are 5 steps you can take to create your own MBA:
Checklist – Write down a list of skills you need to learn and why.
Priorities – Prioritise which skills are most important for your new way of working, living or understanding
Plan – Develop a personal development plan of what, how, who and by when.
Research – start reading articles and books, listening to podcasts or viewing videos that are specific to the skill or topic area you want to learn.
Create – write an article, chapter blog; produce a podcast episode, record a video or even produce a series or talks.
Create Your OWN MBA
There are lots of opportunities to learn in this world, paid and free, if you don’t give yourself enough deliberate time, space and focus dedicated to learning something, then you want get the results you need to stand out from the crowd.
It all starts with a question. What do you want to solve, understand or interpret? How will you Create Your Own MBA? Are you ready to start?
Want To Learn More?
Check out the newly Breaking The CEO Code whitepaper. It provides an overview of Breaking The CEO Code and showcases the 6 key phases. We also go a little deeper into the 2nd phase PERFORMANCE, where we discuss the 3 P’s of the Leadership Performance Formula.
#107 – Create Your OWN MBA Link #106 – Kathy Robinson (Athena Wellness) The Athena Principles Link #105 – Own Your OWN SPACE Link #104 – Mark Weatherall (Te Araroa Trust) Leading The Great Outdoors Link #103 – Be Your OWN CEO Link #102 – Scott Leggo An Eye For Detail Link #101 – Own Your OWN VULNERABILITY Link #100 – Sandhya Shetty (Public Figure) Supermodel To Global Influencer Link #99 – Build Your OWN TRIBE Link #98 – Shannan Gove (Rusterfy) Building Motivated Workforces Link #97 – Own Your OWN GRATITUDE Link #96 – Christian Boucousis (Afterburner) Leading Out Of The Danger Zone Link
Craig Johns talks about OWN Your OWN FREEDOM, the first of the 8 ways to own your OWN Influence.
OWN Your OWN FREEDOM
Find the passion, happiness & direction in your life!
Your passion can be anything in the world that challenges you, intrigues you and motivates you in life. It’s not about doing something you love so that it doesn’t feel like work, a passion is something that puts you to work.
Happiness is a feeling that occurs when you know your life is great and you just can’t help smiling. People feel happiness for different reasons, have you found your happiness or are you still in the pursuit of happiness?
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. What is your reason for living, your purpose in life, and as Simon Sinek says “What is your why”? If it all starts with why, then what is the direction you are taking in life?
OWN Your OWN FREEDOM
Three questions to ask yourself in OWN Your OWN FREEDOM
What makes you come alive?
What are your innate strengths?
Where do you add the greatest value?
If you are still struggling to identify your direction, there a 3 deeper questions that will bring you clarity, which are in this podcast episode.
Want To Learn More?
Check out the newly Breaking The CEO Code whitepaper. It provides an overview of Breaking The CEO Code and showcases the 6 key phases. We also go a little deeper into the 2nd phase PERFORMANCE, where we discuss the 3 P’s of the Leadership Performance Formula.
#93 – OWN Your OWN Freedom Link #92 – Lisa Tamati (Relentless) Relentless Leadership In Life Link #91 – 8 Ways To OWN Your OWN Influence Link #90 – Jason Treu (Unstoppable Workplaces) Building Trust For Transformation Link #89 – How Many CEO Performance Habits? Link #88 – Kate Maree O’Brien (SHE Conference) Tenacious Spirit Of An Entrepreneur Link #87 – Have You Got CEO Presence Link #86 – Chris Tabish (Comediology) Link #85 – How To Raise Your Energy Bar With CEO Periodization Link #84 – Catherine Molloy The Conscious Leader Link #83 – 3 P’s Of The Leadership Performance Formula Link #82 – Revital Golan (Anemone Ventures) Entrepreneur State Of Mind Link
Craig Johns talks about CEO Performance, the third P of the 3P’s of the Leadership Performance Formula. CEO Performance is about developing high performance habits, effective routines and important cues, while removing unwanted contamination and negative influence in your life.
How many CEO Performance habits do you have?
Humans are designed for boundaries in their life. Without clear boundaries it is easy to head down broken path or fall into a trap. Sometimes boundaries need to lose to ensure creativity and innovation can occur, and other times they need to be tight so you limit the distractions.
High performance habits involve unleashing your courage, improving productivity, raising necessity, remaining focused and creating clarity.
What are the routines you can create to reduce time wasting, increase ENERGY, REFLECT effectively, improve HEALTH, curiously GROW, enhance your PROXIMITY, and positively INFLUENCE others?
High performing leaders eliminate
the unnecessary habits and negative distractions in their life, so they can
energetically execute with focus, confidence and clarity.
What habits and routines do you
need to break or create to ensure that you can be more productive and perform
better?
Check out the newly Breaking The CEO Code whitepaper. It provides an overview of Breaking The CEO Code and showcases the 6 key phases. We also go a little deeper into the 2nd phase PERFORMANCE, where we discuss the 3 P’s of the Leadership Performance Formula.
#89 – How Many CEO Performance Habits? Link #88 – Kate Maree O’Brien (SHE Conference) Tenacious Spirit Of An Entrepreneur Link #87 – Have You Got CEO Presence Link #86 – Chris Tabish (Comediology) Link #85 – How To Raise Your Energy Bar With CEO Periodization Link #84 – Catherine Molloy The Conscious Leader Link #83 – 3 P’s Of The Leadership Performance Formula Link #82 – Revital Golan (Anemone Ventures) Entrepreneur State Of Mind Link #81 – How A Leader Can Recover With Purpose Link #80 – Jonathan Rake (Swiss Re) Launchpad To Go Beyond Borders Link #79 – Free Your Mind Link #78 – Hillary Poole Leading Healthy Sustainable Systems Link
On this episode of the active CEO Podcast we talk abouthow to raise your energy bar through CEO Periodization, on episode #8 of Breaking The CEO Code. It is a short podcast episode where host Craig Johns decodes a new aspect of being a high performing leader each week.
CEO Periodization
Craig talks about CEO Periodization, the first P of the 3P’s of the Leadership Performance Formula. CEO PERIODIZATION allows you to proactively plan your rest and recovery from a daily to career basis.
Periodization originated from cataloguing
books based on periods of time and in sport it is used to segment a block of
training into periods workload and rest.
Craig discusses:
You can’t go full throttle for 11-12 months, every year, without expecting to get sick, fatigued and “crash and burn”, so to speak.
Using the 3:1 PERIODIZATION work-to-rest ratio, you can take a year and create FOUR 3 month blocks, where you can assign one key project followed by a period of scheduled recovery time.
Breaking a 3 month block into 4 week blocks, where you have 3 weeks which can be more intense, have higher levels of stress, travel regularly, and then one week, where you schedule no meetings, no travel, work less hours and spend time with your children and those most important to you.
Plan your recovery throughout the week, just like the Four Day Week, 6 hour day and tradies playing golf on Wednesdays concepts so that you can have higher levels of energy and performance.
You can only effectively concentrate and hold high levels of productivity for 45-90 minutes at one time before requiring a 15 to 30 minute break – 3:1 ratio – to reset your mental energy and focus so that you can maintain productivity and performance throughout an entire day.
Check out the newly Breaking The CEO Code whitepaper. It provides an overview of Breaking The CEO Code and showcases the 6 key phases. We also go a little deeper into the 2nd phase PERFORMANCE, where we discuss the 3 P’s of Leadership Performance.
#85 – How To Raise Your Energy Bar With CEO Periodization Link #84 – Catherine Molloy The Conscious Leader Link #83 – 3 P’s Of The Leadership Performance Formula Link #82 – Revital Golan (Anemone Ventures) Entrepreneur State Of Mind Link #81 – How A Leader Can Recover With Purpose Link #80 – Jonathan Rake (Swiss Re) Launchpad To Go Beyond Borders Link #79 – Free Your Mind Link #78 – Hillary Poole Leading Healthy Sustainable Systems Link #77 – Tips To Fuel Your Leadership Performance Link #76 – Paul Veric (BTE Consulting) The Peaceful Warrior CEO Link #75 – How Exercise Enhances Leadership Performance Link #74 – Lucy Bennett Baggs (Just Challenge) Just Challenge Global Impact Link
On this
episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Jonathan Rake,
about his Launchpad to go beyond borders, the World Economic Forum shaping your
thinking as a leader, leaders are hired to make judgement calls and performance
leadership as CEO at Swiss Re Asia Pacific.
We also
delve into the global water crisis, running marathons with Mina Guli the CEO of
Thirst, the importance of balancing ones mind, protecting the asset, and
amazing human beings doing incredible things.
Jonathan Rake – Launchpad To Go Beyond
Borders
Jonathan is a World Economic
Forum Young Global Leader and Advisory Board member, a passionate leader who is
dedicated to CSR and community initiatives, and is involved in a project called
Global Ledger. Jonathan is a phenomenal global leader, who loves running and
has a deep passion for solving the global water crisis.
He
studied a Bachelor Commerce Economics, Accountancy, Business and Law from
Stellenbosch University. His career has involved working at ABN Amro Bank; and
roles in Corporate Business, Business Development and Country CEO of Singapore
at Zurich Financial Services. In 2016 he joined Swiss Re as their CEO of
Singapore and in 2017 became the CEO of Asia Pacific.
Jonathan talks about:
Nelson Mandela’s influence during the transition from Apartheid.
His Launchpad to go beyond borders.
Culture difference between Zurich Financial Services & ABN Amro Bank.
Why judgement is super critical in a CEO and leadership role.
Swiss Re focus on clients, but also making the world more resilient.
Mitigating all the trends that are disrupting lives and industries.
Why the global water crisis is the world’s greatest risk in the future.
Chasing the goal, fighting hard & taking yourself into a difficult place.
You can’t stay in your peak performance state of mind all the time.
Stop take 3 breaths, step away & realise how good you have it.
Calming down & getting some rest & starting the day with exercise.
Learning that you must not pile your passions into one area.
We should be judged by not what we create, but what we leave behind.
Active
CEO Performance Tip
To Diet or Not To Diet – People
are often looking for the quick fix, when it comes to food. Many people jump on
the bandwagon of the thousands of fad-style, celebrity endorsed and marketing
designed diets, which have no research into the long-term effects on the body,
mind and soul. Science compared every diet and the winner is real food. The
only diet that has been implemented and remains over a long period of time is
that established 10,000’s of years ago. It is a predominantly plant-based diet
with no processed foods and only included the occasional meat when they were
quick enough to catch it. Those living by the sea would catch fish and seafood.
Why would you incorporate the middle-person in the diet, so to speak, when you
can go straight to the source an eat it. What do I mean by this? Land animals
generally eat plant-based diets including fruit, vegetables and grains, which
are the stable of all nutritious diets. So why do we need to eat red meat, when
it is just the by-product of the plant based foods we need anyway? What diet
should you eat?
Tweets
“You are only doing long-term damage if you are
running on the edge and stress is building and you are not taking care of
yourself. ” Discussing stress and recovery with Jonathan Rake, on the active
CEO Podcast.
“When you are travelling and out of your normal
environment you don’t get into your level 3 and 4 deep sleep where you are
doing the body repair than helps us function. You need to be alert and aware in
your environment.” Travel and sleep dysfunction with Jonathan Rake on the
active CEO Podcast.
How Exercise Enhances A Leaders Performance Read Article Fuel Your Body For Leadership Performance Read Article Four Basic Fundamentals Of Being A High Performing Leader Read Article How To Be A High Performing Leader In 2020 Read Article active CEO Lessons In 2019 Read Article Four Ways To Overcome CEO Loneliness In 2020 Read Article
Recent active CEO Podcast Episodes
#79 – Free Your Mind Link #78 – Hillary Poole Leading Healthy Sustainable Systems Link #77 – Tips To Fuel Your Leadership Performance Link #76 – Paul Veric (BTE Consulting) The Peaceful Warrior CEO Link #75 – How Exercise Enhances Leadership Performance Link #74 – Lucy Bennett Baggs (Just Challenge) Just Challenge Global Impact Link #73 – Four Basic Fundamentals Of Being A High Performing Leader Link #72 – Azran Osman Rani (Naluri) – Power Of The Human Mind Link #71 – How To Be A High Performing Leader In 2020 Link #70 – Miles Stewart (Triathlon Australia) A Lifetime Chasing Results Link #69 – Deepthi Bopaiah (GoSports Foundation) – India’s Next Olympic Gold Link
On this episode of the active CEO Podcast we talk aboutTips To Fuel Your Leadership Performance, on episode #4 of Breaking The CEO Code. It is a short podcast episode where host Craig Johns decodes a new aspect of being a high performing leader each week.
Craig talks about the impact that focusing on how you fuel your leadership, has on a CEO or leader’s performance, including:
Effects of nutrition on company productivity and bottom line;
Eating food for the brain, rather than focusing on the body;
Nutrition for leadership is a lifestyle change, not a diet change;
Negative effects of a diet high in saturated fats and low in Omega-3’s on brain performance;
Importance of lowering oxidative stress through eating foods high in antioxidants;
How workplace nutrition strategies can decrease medical expenses, sick leave, absenteeism and presenteeism;
The effect food can have on mood and mental health;
Power of hydration on overall body performance and health.;and
Why a variety of fresh, plant-base, lean food and hydration options will help you maintain a healthy body and mind to perform at your optimum every day.
He also takes about there being a lot of noise in the marketplace, when it comes to what we should or shouldn’t eat. When it comes down eating for energy, health, vitality and leadership performance, there are a couple of key fundamentals that will set you in the right direction, so it’s time to fuel your leadership.
Check out the newly Breaking The CEO Code whitepaper. It provides an overview of Breaking The CEO Code and showcases the 6 key phases. We also go a little deeper into the 2nd phase PERFORMANCE, where we discuss the 3 P’s of Leadership Performance.
#76 – Paul Veric (BTE Consulting) The Peaceful Warrior CEO Link #75 – How Exercise Enhances Leadership Performance Link #74 – Lucy Bennett Baggs (Just Challenge) Just Challenge Global Impact Link #73 – Four Basic Fundamentals Of Being A High Performing Leader Link #72 – Azran Osman Rani (Naluri) – Power Of The Human Mind Link #71 – How To Be A High Performing Leader In 2020 Link #70 – Miles Stewart (Triathlon Australia) A Lifetime Chasing Results Link #69 – Deepthi Bopaiah (GoSports Foundation) – India’s Next Olympic Gold Link #68 – Abraham Kamarck (True Made Foods) – Leadership Lessons From The Sky Link #67 – Liz Volpe (Ambisie) – Dare to Dream Link #66 – Bill Coletti (Kith) – Reputational Resilience & Transformation Link
On this episode of the Sportspeople
Recruitment active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Miles Stewart about a
lifetime of chasing results, winning an ITU World Triathlon Championship, the
challenge of transitioning out of sport, lessons learnt in managing people and
being CEO of Triathlon Australia.
We also delve into the
detrimental side of corporate life, when a competitive instinct can become
destructive, why the MEMOS Masters Degree has taken him out of his comfort
zone, and designing a wellness structure to support
high performance.
Miles Stewart – A Lifetime Chasing Results
Miles Stewart is a highly
focused and determined leader who is an Olympic Triathlete, two times world
triathlon champion and ITU World Triathlon Hall of Fame member. He is regarded
as one of Australia’s all time best triathletes, a multiple national
speedskating champion, MEMOS Masters Degree student and has the rare privilege
of winning a world title in his home town.
His career has included
Leasing Executive roles at McConaghy Properties, Colonial First State Property
Management and Head of Retail Leasing at Charter Hall. Miles has also filled
governance roles on the Triathlon Australia Board and High Performance
Committee, and is currently the CEO of Triathlon Australia.
Miles talks about:
A lifetime being coached by a dad who produced world champions in three different sports.
Having an environment of very influential people at school.
Finishing 4th at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Avignon, France, as an 18 year old.
Growing up racing with Spot Anderson, Brad Bevan, Greg Welch & Nic Croft.
The Big 5 in triathlon, Mark Allen, Scott Molina, Dave Scott, Scott Tinley & Mike Pigg.
A watershed moment in equal prizemoney & equality in the sport.
Winning the 1991 ITU World Triathlon Champs, on the Gold Coast.
The deafening noise of finishing 6th at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Coping with the transition of stepping out of sport.
A lifetime chasing results.
The Four D’s of people leaving sport.
Realising that it is really hard to live a normal life.
Having to learn the impact of my behaviour on other people.
The detrimental side of leading a high flying corporate role.
Staff retention and happiness being a key driver.
The changing landscape of managing sport
The challenges of being an Olympic level coach.
Keeping perspective is important as a human being.
Why not reach outside my comfort zone.
Taking a long time after sport to be happy
Active
CEO Performance Tip
CEO Legacy – Having a
purpose in life and aligning it to the work that you do is important if you
wish to enjoy what you do, be productive and perform at a high level. Some
people have a desire to go beyond the world they work in and leave a legacy for
future generations to benefit from. CEO Legacy is all about finding a greater
purpose through a project or movement that creates a ripple effect across an
area, industry or the world. What mark do you want to leave on the
world?
Tweets
“When I talk to people leaving sport now. The hardest
past is to de-tune from being an athlete. Realising that a lot of the skills
that made you a great athlete may not suit you in workplace environment or may
not be the best skills in that space. Its very hard when peoples success comes
from a certain pattern.” Miles Stewart discusses the challenge of
transitioning out of sport, on the
Sportspeople Recruitment active CEO Podcast.
“Being an ex-athlete I have this mentality that I cant let things slide or
I have to get to the finish and deal with them. I have had to learn to get a
lot better at relaxing and recovering myself. I have never been great at making
myself a priority. I normally put a lot of things in front of me. Pulling that
back is something that I had to consider.
Carving out some time to do something that I need to do is good for me
as well.” Being an active CEO with Miles Stewart, on the Sportspeople
Recruitment active CEO Podcast.
#69 – Deepthi Bopaiah (GoSports Foundation) – India’s Next Olympic Gold Link #68 – Abraham Kamarck (True Made Foods) – Leadership Lessons From The Sky Link #67 – Liz Volpe (Ambisie) – Dare to Dream Link #66 – Bill Coletti (Kith) – Reputational Resilience & Transformation Link #65 – Todd Greenberg (NRL) More Than A Game Link #64 – Gabrielle Dow (Green Bay Packers) Green Bay Packers Experience Link #63 – Charles Fairlie Unsung Business Heroes Link #62 – Amanda Jacobs (Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron) She Leads With Empathy Link #61 – Mark Turner (Triathlon Scotland) Coaching Saved My Life Link #60 – Jennifer Dunham (Happiness Matters) – Pivotal Moments Create Decisions Link #59 – Tim Oberg (parkrun) – Moving A Nation Link #58 – Andrew Barnes (Perpetual Guardian) – 4 Day Week Link #57 – Lisa Hasker (VICSPORT) – Life Education Through Sport Link
To close out another decade, we are providing ten active CEO lessons that you all can learn from. Take some time to read, digest and reflect on how you can use each lesson to support your growth as a person and leader in 2020. It’s time to countdown the top 10 active CEO Lessons 2019.
#10 You are the product of your environment
Your ability to perform is determined by the people you interact with, place you play in and pressure you apply. Are the things in your environment helping or hindering your progress?
#9 Tune out your critic & trust your instinct
Our inner voice can be our greatest influence. Believe in yourself and back it 100%. There will always be voices, trust the one deepest inside of you. How will you tune out the critic in 2020?
#8 The more you give the more you get
Spend time helping, sharing, teaching and giving to people, and you will be rewarded. As Zig Ziglar said, “You will get all you want in life if you help other people get what they want.” If someone does something for you, you will naturally want to do something for them. What value or wisdom will you share in 2020?
#7 Spend quality time with family
It can be easy to become consumed in your work, passions and lifestyle, while taking family for granted. They are your greatest supporters and will always be there during the challenging times. You have a responsibility to guide, nurture and be a role model for the next generations. What are you doing for your family today?
#6 Character before charisma
The truth of your character is expressed by the choice of your actions. Make sure your influence doesn’t grow wider than your character goes deep. How will you develop your character in 2020?
#5 Successful people are curious
The greatest problems provide the greatest business opportunities. The most common trait from the CEO’s and Leaders who are guests on the active CEO Podcast is their curiosity. As Tony Robbins said “successful people ask better questions and as a result get better answers”. Why not be more curious in 2020?
#4 Everyone needs a coach
Your truth, ideas and behaviors are only as good as the lens you are looking through. Having someone you can trust who can ask you the tough questions that enable clarity, focus, confidence and provide accountability is crucial and valuable if you want to achieve the success you desire. A great coach can help shape ideas, provide perspective and challenge you to think differently. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” Who is going to be in your corner and be the coach you need in 2020?
#3 Courage & vulnerability are inclusive
In the past vulnerability maybe seen as a weakness, when in fact it is actually a strength. We grow through adversity, changing our environment and challenging the status quo. Without vulnerability we cannot be courageous and without courage we cannot find the strength to speak up and be vulnerable. It is ok to say you don’t have an answer, that you were wrong, are feeling a lack in confidence and that other peoples answers are better. Having vulnerable discussions helps to build psychological safety within your team or between stakeholders. Vulnerability cultivates trust and respect from others, while creating the space for others to speak up about problems, issues or feelings they have. It fosters discussion about key problems and allows people with different perspectives to provide solutions that may not have surfaced before. How will you let your guard down, put your ego to the side and create a space for vulnerability and courage to flourish in your work environment?
#2 Unlock your limiting beliefs
We all have beliefs that hold us back from realizing our true potential. They are subconscious and usually have developed from negative moments, environments, fears, excuses or messages as a child. It could be that you don’t have enough money, are too old; don’t have enough experience, you can’t take a risk because you will fail, someone else is better suited or you just don’t have the talent. The strongest limiting belief I uncovered this year was – a fear of finishing second best. Now i have never been consciously aware of it, but now that I am aware I can easily identify the root causes and the actions that occurred as a result. The reason I found it was through speaking. I have no problem speaking in front of thousands of people and people I have never met, but I found that when I was public speaking in front of people who I respected or felt where better in the field I was speaking in I would go blank and sometimes not even be able to say anything. Through identifying the root cause and putting new belief statements and actions in place I now can deliver with confidence and certainty in front of any audience. Thanks to my coaches who used NLP strategies to unlock my limiting belief. Who will you unlock your limiting beliefs in 2020?
#1 Proximity is power
The people you spend the most time with will have the greatest influence on who you will become. If you want to step it up in 2020 and achieve your dreams and goals faster, then you need to surround yourself with people who play a bigger game than you are currently in. The proximity you keep is very powerful. They must challenge you, keep you accountable and provide the shortest path to your desired destination. Their knowledge, experience and network can have a profound effect on your growth. In 2019 Speakers Institute provided me with the proximity I needed to turn my purpose into reality. The diversity of insights, failures, successes and life experiences is phenomenal. I know that this proximity will take active CEO and Breaking The CEO Code to a whole nuther level in 2020 and beyond. I also have other people in my proximity who shape and accelerate me in other areas I want and need to develop to have the impact on the world that I am FOCUSed on. What proximity will you create in 2020?
What lessons have you learnt from 2019 that will help you create your 2020 VISION?
If you need someone on your side to help you provide
clarity and certainty, then contact Craig Johns at craig@nrg2perform.com
or click on the contact page of the www.nrg2perform.com website.
On this episode of the active CEO
Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Abraham Kamarck about leadership lessons from
the sky, being a Naval Aviator, transitioning from the Navy and how a dislike
to ketchup led to creating True Made Foods. We also dive into air speed is life
and altitude is life insurance, learning to say no, understanding the cultural
environment you work in, and placing family at the core of the story.
Abraham Kamarck – Leadership Lessons From The
Sky
Abraham Kamarck is a design
thinking professional who makes cool products, starts movements and changes
behaviour. He is a former Seahawk Helicopter pilot on counter-narcotics
missions, business mentor and judge of the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab
Region. With a zest for launching multiple businesses in challenging
environments, Abraham has lived and been an entrepreneur in more than ten
countries including Bulgaria, Ghana, Jordan, Egypt and currently the USA.
Abraham has studied a BA
East Asian Studies from Vanderbilt University and an MBA in Business
Administration and General Management at the London Business School. His career
commenced as a US Navy Naval Aviator and Division Chief for the US European
Command, before moving out of Defence Forces to become an independent
consultant, CEO of Viomel Limited, Director of Innovation Coexist Foundation,
Principal of Maendeleo Ventures LLC and is currently the CEO and Founder of
True Master Foods.
Abraham talks about:
Growing up in Washington DC and Brooklyn, with diverse cultures, people and food.
“Moderation in all things including moderation”
Being a fox and not a hedgehog.
Remain calm, composed and focused during very complex and high-pressure situations.
How to process a lot of information very quickly and get to the most important things first.
Aviate, navigate, communicate.
Prioritising information as a senior executive or an entrepreneur
You have got to realise what is going to kill you, and focus on it first.
The importance of having a “tool program”.
Not being prepared for transitioning out of the Navy.
The core for doing well in business as a start up is saying no!
Starting True Made Foods at 38 years old with four kids.
Being an entrepreneur and working with the culture in Qatar.
No one is really disrupting ketchup yet.
Will it pass the five year old test?
Why Amazon and e-commerce are valuable for start-ups.
The pro’s and con’s of having co-founders.
How to figure out that work life balance and get it right?
Active
CEO Performance Tip
CEO Flow – It’s the psychological state
that we need to get ourselves into where we have an out of body experience,
because everything happens so effortlessly. If you’ve planned, prepared and you
put yourself in a state where you feel like you are living what you are about
to say, then you are more likely to get into that flow state. When you are in
flow, everyone engages and connects with you.
Tweets
“The more people working for equity and not salary
the better your company is going to do.” The importance of
co-founders, with Abraham Kamarck, on the
active CEO Podcast.
“A lot of my aviation training works well as an entrepreneur. In both
cases you are basically trying not to die the whole time. You basically use the
same strategies. How to process a lot of information very quickly and get to the
most important things first? When you are falling out of the sky you don’t have
time to spend time figuring out what is happening with the aircraft. You have
to identify the problems immediately and fix or save yourself. ” Focusing on
what will kill you first, with Abraham Kamarck, on the active CEO Podcast.
CEO loneliness is a real problem affecting our society. Have you ever felt lonely, isolated and there is no one you can speak to, as a leader? Well, you are not alone!
Harvard Business Review reported that 61% of CEO’s feel that loneliness hinders their job performance. The higher you move up the ladder the greater the responsibility, pressure to deliver results, expectation to remain calm and the level of confidentiality, increases. Has CEO loneliness invaded your life?
CEO’s may find it difficult to speak about their biggest challenges, complex problems or strongest fears with their boards, senior executives or colleagues. They also struggle to confide in their friends outside of the organization as they feel they don’t have the depth and breadth of understanding the challenges that they face. There is also the risk of sharing information and doubts as it could catalyse rumours.
The lack of privacy that has occurred, as a
result of technology, has opened the door to greater public and media scrutiny,
and therefore a grey area of what is and isn’t private and public life. To
compound this, there are also developing expectations that CEO’s should increase
their transparency, vulnerability and openness to become a better leader.
“With great power comes great responsibility”. SPIDERMAN
As a result, CEO’s quite often experience
social isolation as the number of people they can confide in shrinks. Sometimes
the number of people CEO’s confide in reduces to a level where they don’t feel
comfortable speaking with anyone about the important topics, things that keep
them up at night and the tough decisions that need to be made. This occurs
because they find it difficult to make it relatable to people who are not
experiencing the same challenges and also the risk of confidentiality being
breached.
When pressure comes on and issues arise, many
CEO’s will try and fix them without reaching out for help, both internally and
externally. Poor decisions and escalated problems can occur, and it is at these
times when you need to depend on people you have built trust and relationships
over a number of years.
According to a study completed by the
University of Chicago, social isolation affects human behavior and how the
brain operates. fMRI scans showed there is a decrease in the activity of the
parts of the brain associated with rewards and a seeing things from other
peoples perspectives in lonely people versus non-lonely people. The research
suggested that loneliness might be accentuated as lonely individuals may seek
to “find relative comfort in nonsocial rewards”. (Cacioppo et
al. 2009)
In the PNAS Journal in 2015, research by Cole
et al, identified how flight-or-fight responses triggered by perceived social
isolation (PSI) and loneliness can lead to illness and premature death. PSI and
loneliness can adversely affect sleep patterns, stress hormones, inflammation
in the body, production of white blood cells, and executive function, learning
and memory (Bergland, 2015).
As a CEO, it is critical that you learn how to overcome the feelings of loneliness to improve your health, home-life and work productivity. It is important to proactively build and develop emotional connections with a broad range of people, as it leads to increased collective positive emotions and well being.
The important question is – Who can you speak
with when the going gets tough and the challenges become overwhelming?
Here are 4 Ways To Overcome CEO Loneliness:
1. Build a Team of Mentors
These are the people whom you can consult with when faced with challenges and problems where the answer may not be clear. They are people who are curious, like to ask questions, be prepared to listen and at times make you feel uncomfortable by challenging you to consider other approaches. It is valuable to have a diverse range of mentors, who aren’t just like you. You want people who you trust their advice and opinions, but most importantly will provide the hard truths and perspectives from a different angle. Personally I ensure that my mentors come from different industries, cultures and age ranges. Having a mentor who is younger than you is just as powerful as having someone older with lots of wisdom. Who are the 4 to 8 people you need in your life that give you the confidence, clarity and perspective you need.
2. Create Work-Life Integration
Successful people are congruent with their values and character whether they are at home or in the workspace. Work is part of life, so the theory of work-life balance may not be the best approach. Work-Life Integration is all about understanding that work is part of life and we need to effectively manage the boundaries between when we are working and we are doing other components of our life. Your body and mind needs the space to recharge, rejuvenate and reimagine. Having space in your life for relationships, exercise, freeing your mind and other passions is important in providing opportunities for an outlet, growth, success and diversifying your perspective. It also can provide motivation and inspiration not only to yourself, but other people when you have a passion or two outside the workplace. The relationships; whether family, social or work-related, in your life are important. If you have a partner and/or children then it maybe useful to leave the office before dark and create a cue to ensure you are present when spending valuable time with them. What changes will you make in 2020 to ensure that you have an outlet and focus outside of work?
3. Join a Support Group
Having a support group or mastermind is different to a team of mentors who you are likely to consult and confide in individually. Support groups meet on a regular basis, whether that is weekly, monthly, quarterly or even yearly. It’s a group that is likely to be diverse in nature and provides the psychological safety to discuss, brainstorm and challenge solutions to problems, ideas or challenges that people in the group face. These groups provide a sense of belonging; an honest feedback mechanism where they act as a nurturer, mirror or provider of truth; and can also function as celebrator, motivator and inspirer. They enable you to find clarity and most importantly perspective. An extra bonus is that support groups allow you to form connections that help alleviate stress, anxiety and improve mental health. What mastermind or support group will help you go to the next level in 2020?
4. Embrace the Inclusivity of Courage and Vulnerability
In the past vulnerability maybe seen as a
weakness, when in fact it is actually a strength. We grow through adversity,
changing our environment and challenging the status quo. Courage and
vulnerability are inclusive. Without vulnerability we cannot be courageous and
without courage we cannot find the strength to speak up and be vulnerable. As a
CEO it is ok to say you don’t have an answer, that you were wrong, are feeling
a lack in confidence and that other peoples answers are better. Having
vulnerable discussions helps to build psychological safety within your team or
between stakeholders. Vulnerability cultivates trust and respect from others,
while creating the space for others to speak up about problems, issues or
feelings they have. It fosters discussion about key problems and allows people
with different perspectives to provide solutions that may not have surfaced
before. As a CEO you need to lead by example by taking the first step to
showcasing that vulnerability is positive and a key pillar to growth in your organization
and life. How will you let your guard down, put your ego to the side and create
a space for vulnerability and courage to flourish in your work environment?
It is important to remember that we do not
succeed on our own. There is no instant solution or cure to CEO loneliness, and
it requires patience and time to create a strong support network and
environment. It is important to that as an influential leader that you identify
and build strong team of mentors and support group for valuable guidance when there
is uncertainty, difficulty confronts us and we need to celebrate successes in
life. Take the time to reflect and then recognize how the 4 Ways To Overcome
CEO Loneliness can you help you rise up and become a better leader in 2020.
References:
Cacioppo et al. (2009) What Are the Brain Mechanisms on Which Psychological Processes Are Based?Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2009; 4 (1): 10 Link
Bergland, C. (2015) Loneliness: Perceived Social Isolation Is Public Enemy No. 1 Psychology Today, 23rd November 2015. Link
Comerford, C. (2018) Loneliness: The Executive Challenge No One Talks About. Forbes, 7th July 2018. Link