Culture by Design LeaderFactor

This week, we're talking about intelligence. Most people have a view of intelligence that's not just wrong, but damaging. Our conception of intelligence affects our goal choice and the intensity of our efforts. It affects how we perceive ourselves and our potential. In the episode, Tim and Junior discuss how intelligence is more like athleticism. They emphasize the importance of adopting a growth mindset and choose Carol Dweck's definition of intelligence, the intersection of motivation, ability, and effort, as the most helpful definition a leader can adopt on their leadership journey.
Takeaways
Intelligence is not fixed and can be improved through effort and learning.Our conception of intelligence affects our goal choice and the intensity of our efforts.Adopting a growth mindset and seeing intelligence as malleable can lead to greater achievement.Rejecting limiting beliefs and embracing a more expansive view of intelligence is crucial for personal and professional growth.Intelligence is the intersection of motivation, ability, and effort.Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Objectives
(03:01) Redefining Intelligence
(14:47) Intelligence as a Multi-Dimensional Concept
(36:14) Increasing Intelligence Through Effort
(46:55) Rejecting Limiting Beliefs and Embracing a Useful Definition of Intelligence
(49:28) Conclusion and Call to Action

This week, Tim and Junior outline the resilience cycle, which, similar to patterns we see in ecology, consists of disturbance, adaptation, and recovery. They share 5 practical ways to become more resilient as a leader, including spreading out, leaning on positive emotions, developing effective coping mechanisms, adopting a growth mindset, and seeking strong social support.
Takeaways
Resilience is a learnable process that involves responding to and adapting to challenges.Spreading out and diversifying one's identity can help build resilience.Harnessing the power of positive emotions, such as hope and optimism, can aid in resilience.Developing effective and varied coping mechanisms, including sleep, food, and exercise, is crucial for resilience.Adopting a growth mindset and seeking strong social support are important strategies for building resilience.Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(01:02) Understanding Resilience
(06:32) Resilience in Ecosystems
(10:16) Types of Disturbance
(13:01) Disturbance and Adaptation
(18:51) Path 2: Positive Response to Disturbance
(19:20) Resilience as a Learnable Process
(20:17) Strategy 1: Spread Out
(25:27) Strategy 2: Harness the Power of Positive Emotions
(35:39) Strategy 3: Develop Effective and Varied Coping Mechanisms
(42:34) Strategy 4: Adopt a Growth Mindset
(44:59) Strategy 5: Seek Strong Social Support
(48:11) Conclusion

This week, our hosts navigate through an extensive amount of research literature to come to some conclusions on self-esteem and how to approach it. When we rely on external factors to determine our self-esteem, we open ourselves up to dangerous perspectives. This kind of contingent self-esteem can lead to chronic insecurity in leaders, which gets in the way of their ability to lead effectively and can have detrimental effects on individuals and organizations. In the episode, Tim and Junior suggest three ways to develop a healthier sense of self-worth and tell us which definition of self-esteem they think works best.
Takeaways
Self-esteem is a complex concept that encompasses self-competence and self-liking.Contingent self-esteem is dependent on external factors and can be detrimental to well-being.The measurement of self-esteem can be assessed using scales such as the Rosenberg self-esteem scale.Contingent self-esteem can impact decision-making, relationships, and emotional health.The influence of social media has led to the emergence of image-based contingent self-esteem.Contingent self-esteem is linked to vulnerability to negative emotions such as depression and anxiety. Beware the dangers of contingent self-esteem and the negative impact it can have on personal well-being and leadership effectiveness.Personal experiences can shape one's self-esteem, and it is important to recognize and challenge negative influences.Contingent self-esteem can lead to chronic insecurity in leaders, hindering their ability to lead effectively.Pathological self-esteem, characterized by narcissism and hubris, can have detrimental effects on individuals and organizations.Develop a healthier sense of self-worth by finding your intrinsic motivation, celebrating effort rather than outcomes, and promoting self-compassion.Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Overview
(00:50) The Complexity of Self-Esteem
(06:04) Measurement of Self-Esteem
(09:19) The Impact of Self-Esteem on Decision-Making and Well-Being
(12:07) Introduction to Contingent Self-Esteem
(16:37) The Destructive Nature of Contingent Self-Esteem
(21:23) The Influence of Social Media on Contingent Self-Esteem
(22:26) Assessment of Contingent Self-Esteem
(25:13) The Link Between Contingent Self-Esteem and Negative Emotions
(25:58) Beware the dangers of contingent self-esteem
(33:38) Contingent self-esteem and its negative effects on leadership
(43:39)Tactics for developing a healthier sense of self-worth
(47:35) Find your why
(49:00) Celebrate effort, not outcomes
(50:53) Promote a healthy dose of self-compassion

Have you ever thought about leadership as an invitation? If your goal is to improve and make a positive impact, then leadership will be an inevitable part of your journey. The job to be done, then, is to recognize and accept the invitations that come your way. These could be invitations to grow, help others, or even sometimes, to fail. Tim and Junior make one thing clear, choosing leadership over comfort and contentment is the ultimate call to adventure.
Takeaways
Leadership is about healthy influence and is not dependent on positional power.Leadership is an invitation that is inevitable if one's aim is to become better and make a positive impact.Declining leadership invitations can lead to missed opportunities for growth and influence.Subject matter expertise and leadership are not mutually exclusive; both can be developed and leveraged together.Imposter syndrome should not prevent one from accepting leadership invitations.Accepting leadership invitations helps avoid stagnation and apathy. Rejecting leadership invitations can lead to long-term consequences and a cycle of apathy and helplessness.Literature teaches us about the human condition and the importance of striving for something greater than food, drink, and contentment.The law of least effort and human biases can influence our decision-making and lead to inertia and mediocrity.Accepting leadership invitations requires a balance between self-interest and altruism.Successful failures, where we learn and grow from failed outcomes, are an important part of accepting leadership invitations.Choosing leadership over comfort and contentment is the ultimate call to adventure.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:44) Defining Leadership
(04:11 )Leadership as an Invitation
(05:11) Leadership as the Inevitable End
(06:26) Personal Examples of Leadership Invitations
(11:42) Consequences of Declining Leadership Invitations
(14:22) The Temptation to Decline Leadership Invitations
(20:15) Imposter Syndrome and Leadership
(22:42) Avoiding Stagnation and Apathy
(24:18) The Consequences of Rejecting Leadership Invitations
(28:03) The Law of Least Effort and Human Biases
(30:46) The Negative Implications of Contentment
(36:06) Accepting Leadership Invitations: Recognize, Say Yes, and Try
(41:01) Successful Failures: Learning and Growing from Failed Outcomes
(47:31) Choosing Leadership Over Comfort and Contentment

This week, Tim and Junior are talking about the importance of doing the little things for a long time. Why? Because leaders sweat the small stuff. They know that over time, focusing on the little things plays a key part in sustaining goals, maintaining a sense of control, building momentum, and recognizing improvement.
Takeaways
The compound effect of doing little things for a long time can have a significant impact on personal and professional success.Small actions and habits are controllable and sustainable, leading to gradual improvement and building momentum.Focusing on the little things allows for progress over perfection and generates more evidence of success.Taking responsibility for one's current position and evaluating performance daily are key ways  to achieving meaningful results. Focus on daily performance and the power of a 24-hour cycle.Evaluate pursuit and achievement over different timeframes, such as 24 hours and 24 months.Embrace suspense and milestones as part of the journey towards achieving goals.Prioritize renewal and recharging to maintain motivation and energy.Don't seek external recognition; find satisfaction in the quality of your inputs.Embrace anonymity and silence as opportunities for growth and development.Find magic in the mundane by appreciating the small, daily actions that contribute to long-term success.Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Surprise
(01:37) The Importance of Little Things
(05:01) Control and the Little Things
(06:09) The Compound Effect in Personal and Professional Life
(09:56) Examples of Doing Little Things for a Long Time
(13:46) The Benefits of Small Actions
(16:13) Progress Over Perfection
(24:15) Perception of Behavior and Motivation
(29:26) Taking Responsibility for Your Position
(32:29) Evaluating Performance on a Daily Basis
(34:48) The Power of a 24-Hour Cycle
(37:08) Evaluating Pursuit and Achievement
(39:37) Dealing with Suspense and Milestones
(43:22) Renewal and Recharging
(45:12) Don't Look for Recognition
(49:25) Finding Satisfaction in the Quality of Inputs
(50:02) The Value of Anonymity and Silence
(53:42) Looking for Magic in the Mundane

Tim and Junior talk about the two primary failure patterns in leadership, incompetence and corruption. Effective leaders are leaders with high competence and high moral character. A deficiency in one or the other leaves us susceptible to poor choices, values, and influence on our leadership journey. As part of the episode, our host outlined four different types of leaders. Are you the apprentice, the accomplice, the villain, or the hero?
Takeaways
Leadership failures often fall into two categories: incompetence and corruption.Character and competence are both essential for effective leadership.Influence can be positive or negative, depending on the combination of character and competence.The relationship between incompetence and corruption can lead to a downward spiral in leadership and life. Leadership can be categorized into four quadrants: the apprentice, the accomplice, the villain, and the hero.Developing both character and competence is essential to becoming a hero leader.Plotting your current and future positions on the leadership field helps identify the gap and create tension for growth.Closing the gap requires a fearless examination of personal leadership pathology and a commitment to change.Timestamps
Introduction (00:00)
The Two Failure Patterns: Incompetence and Corruption (00:35)
The Two Axes: Character and Competence (03:01)
Character and Competence: The Intersection (04:17)
Building Influence through Competence and Character (06:18)
Influence Can Be Positive or Negative (08:00)
The Relationship Between Incompetence and Corruption (16:11)
The Four Character Types: Apprentice (25:42)
The Accomplice (29:13)
The Villain (31:19)
The Hero (34:27)
Plotting Your Position (40:18)
Closing the Gap (46:53)
Final Thoughts (58:13)