26 July 2013
What Keeps Leaders Up At Night was just released in June, 2013 by AMACOM. This is a book about the way we mess up as leaders and the psychology, neuroscience and group dynamics behind those mess-ups. Since I’m a bit of a brain, business and psych nerd, this was an especially fun book for me to write. The topics in general were really juicy and I’ve experienced each and every one on a personal and professional level. Some of the topics in the book include:
- Why Does a Good Boss Like Me Sometimes Act Like a Bad Boss?
- Why Can’t I Develop My People’s Full Potential?
- How Can I Keep Smart Individuals from Making Dumb Team Decisions?
- Why Does a Good Fight Sometimes Go Bad?
- Why Can Ambition Sabotage Success?
- How Do I Remain Cool in Hot Situations?
- Why Does it Feel Good to See Someone Else Fail?
- How Can I Deal with Change More Effectively?
- Why don’t people heed my sage advice?
We all deal with these derailers at different points in our careers, whether we are trying to understand our own mishaps or trying to help others shift and grow. Having a little psychology and brain science in your toolbox helps foster better workplace relationships and more effective leadership. My hope is the book will help raise self-awareness and awareness of others’ behavior.
How can non-professionals benefit from this book?
Even if you are not a boss or in a management position I think the book can benefit any individual that is interested in understanding basic psychology, brain science, group dynamics and also gaining some self-awareness. The factors that contribute to the way a “leader” errs are the same factors that contribute to the way any individual goes off track. Ultimately the book strives to help the way we all work together and addresses the issues we face in the workplace and certainly in our own personal lives.
Please give us a brief insight into the psychological principles of engagement, motivation, expectation, emotions, interpersonal and group dynamics needed in work.
I’ll boil it down into the one underlying concept that is at the root of all of the psychological issues that I discuss: Self-awareness. There are so many psychological concepts shared throughout the book that have to do with stress, engagement, motivation, emotions, interpersonal dynamics, group dynamics and so on; once you understand them and commit to noticing them at play in yourself and in others, you evolve. What’s cool about getting this stuff, whether you are a professional or non-professional, is that once you learn it, you can’t unlearn it, you’ve evolved and having a better understanding of your own and of others’ psychology will only make you more self-aware and more effective in your relationships.
Having said that though, a commitment to developing self-awareness is not easy. It’s a life-long process and takes a lot of energy and willingness to scrutinize your behaviors. It means taking an objective look at your own personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, your personal derailers, and understanding what makes you tic and what ticks you off. However, your personal perception will be skewed because it’s how you see yourself, not necessarily how others see you, and as humans we are notoriously terrible judges of our own character. Therefore, I always recommend asking others from different areas of your life (employees, peers, manager, colleagues, significant others, friends, etc.) how they see you. Although this may be difficult, it’s imperative to gain insight into your impact on other people through their eyes.
Who can be a leader in the workplace?
Being a follower is actually a natural state for humans. Being a leader is not. So first off, leadership is not for everyone. It’s hard work and although it can be exhilarating and rewarding, it can also be annoying. So, leadership is for people that are willing to take a risk at failure, are willing to be judged, are willing to make decisions that will piss some people off, are willing to think about their jobs more than they are comfortable with or would like, and are willing to bear the burden of other people’s livelihood, to name a few. But leadership is also for people who love to change the game, who love to face awesome challenges, who love to stretch their brains, who love to be around people, who love big ideas, and who love risk, to name a few.
Having said that, I do believe we all lead from our own seats (as long as an organizational culture supports that). In highly engaged cultures where people find meaning in the work they do and feel a strong alignment with the company they work for, you are more likely to find personal leadership from everyone’s “seat.” Meaning, from the janitor to the CEO each employee takes pride in their work and in the company to pitch in above and beyond.
What can you tell us about your previous publication Y in the Workplace?
“Y in the Workplace: Managing the “Me First” Generation” is a book about the psychology of Generation Y in the workplace and ways to manage and develop this generation to become the next generation of leaders. In order to help shape and develop these talented youth, one must first understand why they act like they do. This book provides readers with a map of the environmental, social, cultural and psychological factors that contribute to Generation Y’s unique system of values, attitudes and expectations and outlines how, as a whole, this group has impacted the corporate environment, inter-generational functioning, and management strategies. To help this generation successfully transition into the workplace while creating a shared vision, the book provides readers with the following:
- Psychological insight into the character of this generation.
- An exploration of the cultural, psychological, environmental and social influences that have shaped the characteristics of this generation.
- Strengths and challenges that Generation Y is bringing to the workplace.
- 45 Coaching strategies and solutions to help transition this generation into the workforce by honing their strengths, minimizing their weaknesses and helping them illuminate their talents.
- An optimistic approach in understanding their abilities as supervisors and managers to impact the future legacy of companies in an exciting and highly productive way.
What is a normal day like in your world?
The one thing that is consistent day in and day out is doing crossfit (either at the gym or in a hotel room). Other than that, my days seem to be different all the time. If I’m working from home, I’m typically dealing with all the facets related to growing my companies. Other times I’m on the road consulting or doing a speaking engagement. Basically, everyday is kind of different, which is one of the things I love about my work. I definitely don’t suffer from boredom or stagnation.
What is your professional background?
I have a doctorate in clinical psychology, a master of business administration and a master of criminal justice. I’m a board certified coach and also adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership.
I had dual interests in graduate school (forensic psychology and organizational psychology). Early on in my career, I fell into practicing forensic psychology and then transitioned into organizational psychology. Oddly, they compliment each other because forensics trains you to be very good at building rapport, fact-finding and putting together all the obvious and not so obvious pieces when solving a problem.
What is the first thing you do when you enter a new organization?
When I walk in the doors of an organization, I’m 100% about getting a feel for the culture and vibe and sitting down with folks from all levels to truly understand where they are currently, where they want to be, and what the gaps are. I can’t do a good job unless I perform a comprehensive needs analysis and really immerse myself into the culture of the organization.
What is the best feedback you have had from your coaching?
I have to say that it isn’t necessarily verbal feedback, it’s really just seeing the progress from where someone begins to where they go.
What is next for you?
Right now I’m working on developing a training program related to my new book, What Keeps Leaders Up At Night. Since this book is fun and is about these pretty common derailers, it really lends well to an engaging development and training program. So, I’m working on that and lining up some speaking engagements and have some consulting gigs scheduled. I also see beginning book number 3 in about a year or two. On the personal side, I’m training for my third tough mudder and enjoying some play time with my boyfriend, family and friends.
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