Coach John G. Agno is your own cultural attache; keeping you abreast of what's effective in leadership. People learn better and are positively motivated when supported by regular coaching.
PERSONAL COACHING Leadership onboarding coaching helps the executive adapt to the employer's culture, create rapport with their team and develop productive ways to achieve necessary goals.
SELF ASSESSMENT CENTER Leadership skills and style testing. Know how you motivate and coach people to gain success at work and in life.
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP? Leadership is an interactive conversation that pulls people toward becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment.
LEADERSHIP TIPS “The crux of leadership development that works is self-directed learning: intentionally developing or strengthening an aspect of who you are or who you want to be, or both.” Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee (Harvard Business School Press)
The Darwinian principle of "survival of the fittest" echoes what many people believe about life: To get ahead, you need to look out for No. 1. A cursory read of evolutionary doctrine suggests that the selfish individuals able to outcompete others for the best mates and the most resources are most likely to pass their genes on to the next generation. Then there is classical economic theory, which holds that given the choice, we will often opt for a personal benefit over a personal loss, even if that loss involves a benefit to someone else.
Using tools like fMRI, scientists are identifying the precise circuits within the brain that control these nurturing social impulses. Where once there was only speculation about the origins of the human desire to help others, a body of data is starting to fill the gap, revealing key workings of the biological hardware that makes altruism possible. This represents a new scientific frontier. At the same time, theories about the evolution of altruism have expanded and acquired evidence to support them, lending insight into why our brains are wired for selflessness in the first place.
Complex schools of scientific thought have emerged. One argues that altruism exists because it helps ensure the survival of close kin. Various researchers have also highlighted the merits of the view that helping may maximize the survival odds of each member of a society. That would mean that behaving less selfishly isn't just a way of protecting close family members; it might also be a way for individuals to improve their own prospects by contributing to the well-being of a strong collective.
While we often tend to think of altruism as a kind of sophisticated moral capacity we use to squelch our urges to dominate others, new evidence suggests that giving is actually inherently rewarding: The brain churns out a pleasurable response when we engage in it.
We are forever making complex calculations about whether or not to give in different situations, but whether or not our gift will help someone is far from the only factor we consider. The better we feel when we give, in general, the more often we do it. And as the Georgetown philosopher Judith Lichtenberg points out, even when we think we're giving with absolutely no expectation of reward, we can't be sure; our motivations (feeling good? looking good? gaining social leverage?) may be unconscious, inaccessible even to ourselves.
It is true enough that our genetics have evolved to include cooperative inclinations and create brain structures that predispose us to help, but the examples others set for us, the surroundings in which we live, and the values we most prize also play a significant role in tipping us toward selflessness or selfishness. In the end, what we do with our generous thoughts and inclinations is always up to us.
While we are hard-wired to "do unto others" in a multitude of ways, we also have power over whether to take advantage of those natural capacities or let them wither away.
The current decade has seen a shift in academic careers and job acquisition. Jobs in the market often require academic qualification, but it’s important to realize that generic degrees have played out their worth. Businesses are usually looking for a level of specialization that is honed through specific education and experience. An individual cannot accomplish that qualification with a general science or arts degree.
The Fiscal Burden
Students who are at the start of their academic specialization can absorb a lot from latest economical news. The available jobs in the market often require skillsthat are not part of generic degrees. Individuals then have to opt for further education, which can come as a burden. This could have been avoided if the individual had earned a specified degree.
A simple statistical analysis would show that this is a solid argument. All of these figures have been collected from the U.S. department of Education and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics resources.
Generic Degrees and Employability
Journalism is one area where generic degrees have seen a major dip in employment. The percentage change in jobs during the last four years has been a negative -6.32%. Horticulture is another area where the reduction has been -1.74%. What’s interesting to note is the area of medical and scientific careers, where the dip in various areas ranges from -0.88% to 3%. Owing to advent of social media, conventional degrees in advertising resulted in a -1.71% reduction.
All of the figures are a clear cut indicative that specialization is directly linked to how well a person would fare in the market. Furthermore, market leaders also show a much targeted approach, something which the generic degrees fail to provide for most individuals.
Need for Specialization
The relation of specialization, leadership and employment can also be understood by looking at different academic disciplines. Careers in medicine are a very good example for a career that requires specific qualifications.
The technology side which includes diagnostics, analytical and billing side is heavily dominated by specialized human resource.
Sonography schoolscan offer degrees that directly cater to the need of the market. The course content and the degree itself are tailor made for skills that are needed in a medical hospital. The entire area of diagnostics is dominated by specific applied knowledge.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median starting salary for the area is $42,000 to a median mid-career salary of $56,700. Furthermore, the number of jobs in specialized area of medical has risen by 9.24%. Those who start off with generic degrees in Biological Sciences have to eventually get these target oriented degrees to make it to the higher earning bracket.
Being Target Oriented
The link that has been established above shows that the more target oriented you are, the better survival chances you have. A generic degree is a shot in the dark with higher risk liabilities.
Leadership in areas is defined by how in depth your study is. Furthermore, the more you learn about a certain discipline, the more rewarding it becomes in the long run.
In light of the current fiscal era we live in, a well thought out academic path is an asset to have. The American education system is slowly beginning to realize it. Those who have taken initiatives are prime examples of how an effective leadership approach can be developed through specialized degrees.
Authentic leaders have absorbed a fundamental fact -- that you can't get around life's inherent contradictions. The leadership mind is spacious. It has ample room for the ambiguities of the world, for conflicting feelings, and for contradictory ideas.
A central leadership attribute is the ability to manage polarity. In every aspect of life, polarities are inevitable: How can I devote myself fully to both family and career? Am I a boss or a friend? A lover or a judge? How do I reconcile my own needs with those of my team? Those paradoxes are simply part of life.
Every business interaction is a form of confrontation -- a clash of priorities, a struggle of dignities, a battle of beliefs. Polarities are in the nature of things. How we act, how we respond to those polarities -- that is where we separate greatness from mediocrity.
Are you right brain dominant or left brain dominant?
This theory of the structure and functions of the mind suggests that the two different sides of the brain control two different 'modes' of thinking. It also suggests that each of us prefers one mode over the other.
Experimentation has shown that the two different sides, or hemispheres, of the brain are responsible for different manners of thinking. The following summaries illustrate the differences between left-brain and right-brain thinking:
Left Brain: Logical, Sequential, Rational, Analytical, Objective, Looks at parts
Right Brain: Random, Intuitive, Holistic, Synthesizing, Subjective, Looks at wholes
Most individuals have a distinct preference for one of these styles of thinking. Some, however, are more whole-brained and equally adept at both modes. In general, schools tend to favor left-brain modes of thinking, while downplaying the right-brain ones. Left-brain scholastic subjects focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brained subjects, on the other hand, focus on aesthetics, feeling, and creativity.
Research has indicated that most people are dominant in one brain hemisphere. Determining your dominant brain hemisphere can play a role in determining how you learn best and how you relate to others. Remember, any inventory is just a guide. People are most successful when they integrate and develop both sides of the brain.
