Newsletter #11 – Empowering Growth Through Human Experience and Behavior Insights

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As the year comes to a close, I want to share a few select articles and podcasts that have been particularly thought-provoking and inspiring for me. These pieces unite under a common theme: they delve into understanding and capitalizing on human experiences and behaviors to drive growth in all aspects of our lives.

My hope is that they ignite your curiosity and provide valuable insights as we step into the New Year. Here's to a truly happy and rewarding New Year for all of us!

Sohrab

P.S.: If you find the insights in this newsletter beneficial, please don't hesitate to share it with friends and colleagues.

This article from Agile Academy delves into how fear, often seen as a negative emotion, can be transformed into a catalyst for innovation and organizational growth. It discusses the insights of Mary Lynn Manns, and includes examples from companies like Pixar, Adobe, and Microsoft, illustrating how these organizations successfully navigated change by addressing and harnessing fear. The strategies presented involve understanding and engaging with fear, leveraging evangelists for change, and the importance of diversity and skepticism in team composition.

In Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People podcast Dr. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor, explores the concept of "intelligent failure" and its importance in organizational learning and innovation. She categorizes failures into intelligent, basic, and complex types, advocating for environments where intelligent failures are seen as valuable learning opportunities. Her approach emphasizes the need for psychological safety in workplaces, where individuals feel comfortable taking risks, learning from mistakes, and contributing ideas without fear of reprisal or ridicule.

In his "The Path" interview series, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky converses with Donna Orender, tracing her remarkable transition from professional basketball player to a pivotal influencer in the WNBA. Orender's narrative is a testament to adaptability and the power of grasping opportunities. Her evolution, from the basketball court to influential roles in the WNBA and media, highlights the significance of welcoming change and harmonizing personal values with one's professional journey.

Sahil Bloom shares in a linkedin post his encounter with Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of Harvard's longest study on happiness. The study reveals that relationship satisfaction at age 50 predicts health at 80, and that loneliness is as harmful as smoking or alcoholism. The quality of relationships is more crucial for health and happiness than their quantity. These insights are elaborated in Waldinger's bestseller "The Good Life."