Category Archives: Self-direction

From self-belief to self-direction

 In a sense, leaders are in the empowerment business. If you lead a team, you should spend a great deal of your time doing things that empower them. Why? Because people consistently underestimate their capacity to make things happen. They … Continue reading

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Self-direction versus fate

 Most people believe in fate. But with time, the belief submerges and works on them from below the surface. And so, they suffer the destructive consequences without ever realizing it. You can spot a fatalistic worldview. People give up quickly, or never … Continue reading

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Why we fail

 The reason why most people never achieve their greatest ambition is because they don’t know what it is. If you lack focus you will not allocate your mental and emotional resources efficiently. With nothing in particular to aim for, you’ll shift, change, try … Continue reading

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Why we need new leadership

 I don’t know of a single institution that isn’t under the threat of massive trauma or even annihilation. From the Catholic church to the US economic order, from the welfare state to the corporation, it’s all rattling. The old centers … Continue reading

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The New Humanism

Here’s David Brooks talking about a ‘new humanism’. He sees it as the result primarily of insights from neuroscience. I agree that neuroscience will change everything we know about management, leadership, and whole lot else in the coming years (though … Continue reading

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Self-direction and the New Leadership Skills

We need a new conception of leadership and I believe self-direction describes an alternative model. So, what can the capacity for self-direction do for you? Well, a lot. However, its main objective is not material gain (though it often follows) but rather on … Continue reading

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Self-direction goes beyond learning

Here is the presentation I mentioned in the last post (with some revisions). The bigger argument goes beyond learning and it is this one: We’ve been concerned exclusively in the West with externally driven freedoms i.e., those that come from … Continue reading

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Self-direction can be learned

This morning I addressed Dr Curt Bonk‘s class at the School of Education at Indiana University. Last year Curt published an important book on how web technologies are changing education and learning – The World is Open - in which he included reference … Continue reading

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Leadership, zombies, and self-direction

Imagine it’s 50,000 years ago and we’re wandering around on the savannah, in a group of, say, 130 or so. Someone has to choose a direction, but we’re scared, vulnerable, unruly. The journey to find/distribute resources never ends. Nor does … Continue reading

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Motivation is not a trap

 Here’s a quote on motivation from John C Maxwell that I think could confuse as much as it illuminates: “The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or … Continue reading

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