# data[].attributes.body
Top-level athletes, successful businesspeople and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence , as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It seems ages since we started referring to life in these "uncertain times". For months now, our routines have been disrupted and we've been forced to adapt. Anecdotally, one major consequence is a state of mental fatigue. It feels hard to concentrate for any length of time, as if we're in a collective state of near-constant distraction.

"It felt like I had a mental block preventing me from focusing on the page," says writer and book lover Sophie Vershbow, who captured the mood early in the pandemic when her tweet about "not being able to concentrate enough to read a book" was liked more than 2,000 times. She's not alone; do a quick search and you'll find an avalanche of articles on people who can't concentrate, the prevalence of 'brain fog' and different ways to 'hack your concentration'.

Of course, much of this subjective feeling of mental distraction comes down to the practicalities of life now. For many people, most notably working parents, the sudden switch to home working has meant an intensification of work/life conflict; it's tricky to focus on a spreadsheet as your kids wrestle for the TV remote control. But it feels like there's more to it than that. Even when work is finished for the day and the kids are in bed, it's hard to find any focus to escape into a novel or box-set.

There's a psychological theory, originally applied in the context of learning, that might help explain why living in the age of Covid-19 may have turned our minds to soup. It's called Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), and it was first developed by the Australian educational psychologist John Sweller. Put simply, CLT characterises our minds as information processing systems. When we're working on a problem, especially an unfamiliar one, we depend on our "working memory", which is very limited both in its capacity and the length of time it holds information. The less familiar you are with a task, the more you depend on your working memory to help juggle the relevant information; in contrast, when you're an expert, most of what you need to know is stored in long-term memory and you can complete the task on auto-pilot.
New tasks, new stress levels
Cognitive Load Theory provides a useful framework for understanding the different ways the pandemic could be playing havoc with your mental function.

First, by forcing you into new routines, it's robbed you of the ability to do things on auto. Take a work meeting; before, you would just have turned up and joined in the discussion, but now if you're working remotely you have to fire up your video-conferencing software, worry about your WiFi, adjust your communication to the time lag and so forth. The same applies to domestic challenges too, like ordering your groceries online instead of shopping in person. These adaptations force you out of auto-pilot and draw on your limited working memory capacity. In the jargon of CLT, the intrinsic "cognitive load" of much of what you do has increased. You're spending more of your life having to think deliberately and consciously, more like a novice than expert, which is exhausting in itself.

Many of us have had to adjust rapidly to new ways of working and new technologies

Second, research based in CLT has shown how emotions can interfere with information processing. When you're anxious, for example, this is known to reduce working memory capacity, thus making it more difficult to work through any mental problem that requires conscious problem-solving (think of how exam nerves scramble your brain, making it tricky to work through maths questions or compose a coherent sentence; or how the stress of your driving test made it much harder to multitask than in your lessons).

Third, CLT refers to " extraneous cognitive load " - the demand on your working memory capacity imposed by distractions that are not directly relevant to what it is you're trying to do. This could be a basic secondary task in the background, such as trying to listen to the news bulletin while you're working, or it could be background distracting thoughts, such as figuring out how to pick your kids up from school when your boss has scheduled a video meeting for the same time.

What's happening now is that disruptions to life caused by the pandemic are forcing you to draw on your limited working memory capacity more often, at a time when - if you're more stressed and your anxiety levels are raised, or you're juggling multiple tasks and commitments - you have diminished working memory capacity. It's the worst of both worlds, and another reason why you're feeling mentally drained.

Ordinarily in a time of upheaval, we can adjust quickly and the cognitive load becomes more manageable again. What's striking about life in the era of Covid-19 is that the situation keeps changing - governments around the world are constantly rolling out new, more complex restrictions. Travel rules, self-isolation instructions, symptom watch-lists, new smartphone apps - barely a day goes by without a new development for us to register and respond to.

"Any novel situation imposes cognitive load on our brains, but the fact that Covid-19 had such vast societal disrupting impacts forced us to perhaps absorb new information faster than what we were capable of," says Samuli Laato, a researcher at the University of Turku who has been studying the role of cognitive load in people's unusual purchasing behaviour during the pandemic (such as panic buying) and in the widespread sharing of misinformation. "In general," he explains, "uncertainty always increases cognitive load. Stressors such as health threat, fear of unemployment and fear of consumer market disruptions all caused cognitive load. Furthermore, remote working policies were introduced globally, which required people to adapt to new technologies and a new way of working altogether."
Planning and self-discipline
Thankfully, interpreting the mentally draining effect of pandemic life through the lens of Cognitive Load Theory points to some simple but effective remedial strategies. First off, try to establish new routines and master them, so that you aren't constantly drawing on your working memory capacity for mundane tasks. I recently invested in a mesh WiFi system that's reduced the interference on video calls and took the time to read up on the different functions of the various video call platforms. By getting pandemic-era basics like these down to a tee, you won't have to waste mental capacity on them.

Managing your stress - in whatever way works for you - will help you handle your cognitive load

Second, because we're living through an era of heightened anxiety and uncertainty, it's important to put extra effort into stress management, so that your working memory isn't constantly overloaded by worry. This means eating well, exercising and establishing a predictable bedtime routine, as well as finding time for activities that relax you. As far as your situation allows, work out contingency plans for different aspects of your life - putting realistic preparations in place for feared scenarios can be a great anxiety reliever. Also, give your brain a break from the pandemic updates and doom scrolling. Consider having days (or at least whole afternoons or evenings) where you avoid the news or pandemic talk.

Finally, it is important to take the strain off your working memory by tuning out any "extraneous cognitive load". This means putting greater effort into organising your time and being disciplined about distractions. Aim to set aside realistic but dedicated times of the day for different tasks, whether work or domestic duties. For instance, when you're working, don't have the news on in the background. When you're playing with your kids, don't have your mobile by your side ready to check emails or Twitter. Allow your mind to focus on one thing at a time and you'll be rewarded by feeling less mentally exhausted.

It looks like we're going to be living in this pandemic era for a while yet. While the constant anxiety and abnormality is mentally fatiguing, take comfort from the fact you're not the only one feeling this way. Our brains have a limited processing capacity that's being stretched to its limit right now, but with some careful planning and self-discipline, there are ways to reduce the cognitive load and rediscover your focus.

Dr Christian Jarrett is deputy editor at Psyche magazine. His next book, Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change, will be published in 2021.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cognitive Load Theory: Explaining our fight for focus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It seems ages since we started referring to life in these "uncertain times". For months now, our routines have been disrupted and we've been forced to adapt. Anecdotally, one major consequence is a state of mental fatigue. It feels hard to concentrate for any length of time, as if we're in a collective state of near-constant distraction.

# data[].attributes.body
One common impact of dealing with constant change and complexity is excessive cognitive load. Our head gets full which can lead to feeling tired, stressed and unsure. To learn more about cognitive load theory and its impact on our ability to focus and lead, look at the following article.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It seems ages since we started referring to life in these "uncertain times". For months now, our routines have been disrupted and we've been forced to adapt. Anecdotally, one major consequence is a state of mental fatigue. It feels hard to concentrate for any length of time, as if we're in a collective state of near-constant distraction.

"It felt like I had a mental block preventing me from focusing on the page," says writer and book lover Sophie Vershbow, who captured the mood early in the pandemic when her tweet about "not being able to concentrate enough to read a book" was liked more than 2,000 times. She's not alone; do a quick search and you'll find an avalanche of articles on people who can't concentrate, the prevalence of 'brain fog' and different ways to 'hack your concentration'.

Of course, much of this subjective feeling of mental distraction comes down to the practicalities of life now. For many people, most notably working parents, the sudden switch to home working has meant an intensification of work/life conflict; it's tricky to focus on a spreadsheet as your kids wrestle for the TV remote control. But it feels like there's more to it than that. Even when work is finished for the day and the kids are in bed, it's hard to find any focus to escape into a novel or box-set.

There's a psychological theory, originally applied in the context of learning, that might help explain why living in the age of Covid-19 may have turned our minds to soup. It's called Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), and it was first developed by the Australian educational psychologist John Sweller. Put simply, CLT characterises our minds as information processing systems. When we're working on a problem, especially an unfamiliar one, we depend on our "working memory", which is very limited both in its capacity and the length of time it holds information. The less familiar you are with a task, the more you depend on your working memory to help juggle the relevant information; in contrast, when you're an expert, most of what you need to know is stored in long-term memory and you can complete the task on auto-pilot.
New tasks, new stress levels
Cognitive Load Theory provides a useful framework for understanding the different ways the pandemic could be playing havoc with your mental function.

First, by forcing you into new routines, it's robbed you of the ability to do things on auto. Take a work meeting; before, you would just have turned up and joined in the discussion, but now if you're working remotely you have to fire up your video-conferencing software, worry about your WiFi, adjust your communication to the time lag and so forth. The same applies to domestic challenges too, like ordering your groceries online instead of shopping in person. These adaptations force you out of auto-pilot and draw on your limited working memory capacity. In the jargon of CLT, the intrinsic "cognitive load" of much of what you do has increased. You're spending more of your life having to think deliberately and consciously, more like a novice than expert, which is exhausting in itself.

Many of us have had to adjust rapidly to new ways of working and new technologies

Second, research based in CLT has shown how emotions can interfere with information processing. When you're anxious, for example, this is known to reduce working memory capacity, thus making it more difficult to work through any mental problem that requires conscious problem-solving (think of how exam nerves scramble your brain, making it tricky to work through maths questions or compose a coherent sentence; or how the stress of your driving test made it much harder to multitask than in your lessons).

Third, CLT refers to " extraneous cognitive load " - the demand on your working memory capacity imposed by distractions that are not directly relevant to what it is you're trying to do. This could be a basic secondary task in the background, such as trying to listen to the news bulletin while you're working, or it could be background distracting thoughts, such as figuring out how to pick your kids up from school when your boss has scheduled a video meeting for the same time.

What's happening now is that disruptions to life caused by the pandemic are forcing you to draw on your limited working memory capacity more often, at a time when - if you're more stressed and your anxiety levels are raised, or you're juggling multiple tasks and commitments - you have diminished working memory capacity. It's the worst of both worlds, and another reason why you're feeling mentally drained.

Ordinarily in a time of upheaval, we can adjust quickly and the cognitive load becomes more manageable again. What's striking about life in the era of Covid-19 is that the situation keeps changing - governments around the world are constantly rolling out new, more complex restrictions. Travel rules, self-isolation instructions, symptom watch-lists, new smartphone apps - barely a day goes by without a new development for us to register and respond to.

"Any novel situation imposes cognitive load on our brains, but the fact that Covid-19 had such vast societal disrupting impacts forced us to perhaps absorb new information faster than what we were capable of," says Samuli Laato, a researcher at the University of Turku who has been studying the role of cognitive load in people's unusual purchasing behaviour during the pandemic (such as panic buying) and in the widespread sharing of misinformation. "In general," he explains, "uncertainty always increases cognitive load. Stressors such as health threat, fear of unemployment and fear of consumer market disruptions all caused cognitive load. Furthermore, remote working policies were introduced globally, which required people to adapt to new technologies and a new way of working altogether."
Planning and self-discipline
Thankfully, interpreting the mentally draining effect of pandemic life through the lens of Cognitive Load Theory points to some simple but effective remedial strategies. First off, try to establish new routines and master them, so that you aren't constantly drawing on your working memory capacity for mundane tasks. I recently invested in a mesh WiFi system that's reduced the interference on video calls and took the time to read up on the different functions of the various video call platforms. By getting pandemic-era basics like these down to a tee, you won't have to waste mental capacity on them.

Managing your stress - in whatever way works for you - will help you handle your cognitive load

Second, because we're living through an era of heightened anxiety and uncertainty, it's important to put extra effort into stress management, so that your working memory isn't constantly overloaded by worry. This means eating well, exercising and establishing a predictable bedtime routine, as well as finding time for activities that relax you. As far as your situation allows, work out contingency plans for different aspects of your life - putting realistic preparations in place for feared scenarios can be a great anxiety reliever. Also, give your brain a break from the pandemic updates and doom scrolling. Consider having days (or at least whole afternoons or evenings) where you avoid the news or pandemic talk.

Finally, it is important to take the strain off your working memory by tuning out any "extraneous cognitive load". This means putting greater effort into organising your time and being disciplined about distractions. Aim to set aside realistic but dedicated times of the day for different tasks, whether work or domestic duties. For instance, when you're working, don't have the news on in the background. When you're playing with your kids, don't have your mobile by your side ready to check emails or Twitter. Allow your mind to focus on one thing at a time and you'll be rewarded by feeling less mentally exhausted.

It looks like we're going to be living in this pandemic era for a while yet. While the constant anxiety and abnormality is mentally fatiguing, take comfort from the fact you're not the only one feeling this way. Our brains have a limited processing capacity that's being stretched to its limit right now, but with some careful planning and self-discipline, there are ways to reduce the cognitive load and rediscover your focus.

Dr Christian Jarrett is deputy editor at Psyche magazine. His next book, Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change, will be published in 2021.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cognitive Load Theory: Explaining our fight for focus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It seems ages since we started referring to life in these "uncertain times". For months now, our routines have been disrupted and we've been forced to adapt. Anecdotally, one major consequence is a state of mental fatigue. It feels hard to concentrate for any length of time, as if we're in a collective state of near-constant distraction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As stated in my primer blog on Organizational Change Management (OCM), without OCM, when change confronts culture, culture always wins! In order to get the culture of a firm to embrace and institutionalize a significant change, several factors come into play that, depending on how they are handled, will affect the success or failure of the change effort.

Who Are the Resistors?
Generally speaking, every individual impacted by the proposed change is a member of the "target" population. That includes the sponsors, champions, change agents and resistors. In most cases, the total number of targets represents a bell-shaped curve; a small fraction (5 - 15%) represents the champions who are for the change, another fraction of roughly equal size represents the resistors who are against the change, and the rest make up the targets who haven't yet decided which side they will choose. If possible, it will be advantageous to identify the resistors along with the champions, and add that information to the OCM Chart that was created from the sponsor assessment. You will want to work with the champions and change agents to help sway the undecided targets to favor of the change. The last thing you want to do is intentionally agitate the resistors, because that increases the likelihood that they will recruit the undecided targets to join their ranks instead. The stronger the resistance, the more sponsorship intervention will be required to make the change happen. You want to keep the number of resistors at a manageable level.

How do you deal with resistors? There are multiple approaches:

Leverage the sponsors and change agents to get everyone on board by target grouping. This should be done while understanding and appreciating the targets' frame of reference, their reality, and highlighting what's in it for them. Target grouping might be done, for example, by department, job level, business vs. technology sides of the house, and so forth.

Invite a key resistor to join the project team, so that he/she is brought closer to the initiative (i.e., keep your friends close, and your enemies closer!) and has a say in the final result. This often helps convert the resistor to a champion or change agent; or if not that, at least a non-resisting target. Beware that this can also backfire-especially if the change initiative is half-baked-so you have to have done your homework prior to inviting the resistor in, and monitor it regularly.

Bypass the resistors (with sponsor permission). I ran an enterprise project management tool implementation where everyone was on board except the Enterprise Architecture department, who in part resisted because they had not been invited to help choose the vendor, and in part because they felt their own tools and methods were sufficient. When it became clear that they would not participate, I obtained an official waiver from the CIO which exempted them-at least for the first phase of the implementation.

The "Valley of Despair"
Every significant change that affects the culture of an organization-and right down to the individual or "target" level-goes through a life cycle curve that looks more or less like this:

Let me repeat: every significant change to an organization will go through this cycle. This is normal and to be expected. The key to managing resistance is to keep the "Valley of Despair" dip-where skepticism, blame, denial, disbelief and hopelessness thrive like aggressive tumors-as short and as shallow as possible. If it lasts too long or gets too deep, the change usually fails because the majority of the previously uncommitted targets eventually become resistors. To avoid this, the change initiative should be planned like a formal project. The project plan should include specific OCM tasks by phase to address the inevitable resistance that will surface throughout the life of the change-including beyond the point where the project ends, all the way through to the end of the useful life ofthe change. The end milestones of each phase of the curve should also be tracked in the plan. Once you get past the Resistance stage, you're more than halfway there, and have a realistic chance of implementing the change.

Intensity of Pain
This is often referred to as the 'tipping point" or "burning platform"-the point at which the pain induced by the current state is perceived to exceed the level of pain that changing to the future state would invoke. The "burning platform" analogy is based on a real-life example documented by organizational change guru Daryl Connor about an oil rig in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland that exploded and caught fire one night in 1988. Two rescuers and 166 crew members died in the inferno. One of the supervisors jumped out of bed, ran to the edge of the platform, made the decision to jump, and became one of only a handful of workers who survived. He made the decision to jump because he perceived that he'd die for sure if he didn't-even though the jump was 15 stories down into freezing water that also had burning oil patches on the surface. He jumped, believing the future state of potential hypothermia and/or burns from burning surface oil was less painful than remaining on the platform.

In the less death-defying world of organizational improvement, of course, the perceived intensity of pain will vary from person to person, by department, and even within the management ranks. For example, the desire to replace a desktop project management tool in favor of one with a central database might be popular with the project management practitioners, but top management might be reluctant to spend the money unless they also see value in it. Another example is standing up an enterprise Project Management Office (ePMO), which more often than not is initiated by the desire of top management to more closely align projects with corporate strategies, goals and objectives, and provide greater visibility into all projects and programs from a portfolio level; departments with existing PMOs may not always share that desire, and may be more concerned about losing autonomy or control over their operations. The universal law is this: if the pain of the status quo is accepted by all constituents of the culture to be greater than the perceived pain of change, the change is much more easily accepted without significant sponsor intervention. When there are differences of opinion, sponsor intervention is critical to push the change forward.

Sponsorship Methods
Does this mean that the sponsors should simply dictate what will be changed, and push it down through the chain of command in the organization to make it happen? Sometimes the answer is "yes," but not necessarily in all cases. There are three basic methods sponsors can utilize to overcome resistance: command, compromise and collaboration. Each one has its own merits, depending on the situation:

Command: Sometimes the "command and control" method works best. No one disputed the fact that as the year 2000 approached, all mission critical systems needed to be validated, or remediated and tested, to ensure that they would operate without any hiccups when the clock rolled past midnight on December 31, 1999. Individuals and departments may not have enjoyed spending the extra time and money to ensure compliance, but top management realized sooner or later that they had no choice since it was essential for business survival.

Compromise: This method works best when the sponsors have a certain objective that must be met by a certain timeframe, but are willing and able to vary the scope and/or cost based on recommendations from the targets. The goal is to find a solution that works for the majority, if not for everyone, but everyone still has to comply with the result. An example would be where sponsors want to bring in a project management methodology by a given date, but give the targets some leeway to determine which vendor's product to purchase, or to create their own.

Collaboration: The most democratic of methods where everyone agrees on the change approach before proceeding; this rarely works well in its purest form for changing organizations because it's rare for everyone to agree on everything. A modified approach is for management to set boundaries, including time limits, for coming up with the best solution. When no solution is reached or stalemates occur, the issues are escalated to management to make the decisions.

Common OCM Tasks for Project Plans: A Teaser
I have a terrific table that shows the OCM tasks that should be included in every major change initiative's project plan. I have typically included this table, modified to suit the specific change for the client's organization, in the OCM Context section of the Adoption and Utilization Guide that I left behind for the sponsors at the end of the project. I'll be happy to send it to anyone who leaves a comment with their email address; or you may email me directly at ayoung@pmsolutions.com.

Watch for my next post on maturity and how it impacts the rate of change, as the fourth blog in our series on OCM.

Next Steps:

View Posts by Allen Young
( 13 votes. Average: 2.7 out of 5)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As stated in my primer blog on Organizational Change Management (OCM), without OCM, when change confronts culture, culture always wins! In order to get the culture of a firm to embrace and institutionalize a significant change, several factors come into play that, depending on how they are handled, will affect the success or failure of the change effort.

# data[].attributes.body
Peer mentoring is a relationship between people who are at the same career stage or age, in which one person has more experience than the other in a particular domain and can provide support as well as knowledge and skills transfer. Peer mentoring may be a one-on-one relationship or experienced in a group. The exchange is usually mutual, even if one member of the dyad begins in the traditional role of mentee, or learner, and the other in the role of mentor. For example, a newcomer to an organisation or industry may start off as the learner, but as the relationship develops s/he usually discovers s/he has something to offer the partner in terms of other experience. The relationship then develops into an environment for co-learning.

# data[].attributes.body
Coaching offers essential support. It guides you towards identifying your strengths and areas for development, so you can tap into your talent and overcome the barriers that might be holding you back.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coaching and Mentoring | Factsheets | CIPD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Identify ways to apply coaching and mentoring principles as part of an overall learning and development strategy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Peer learning occurs when students engage in collaborative learning.
Peers can:

Learn with each other.

Learn from each other.

One learn from the other.

Peers should:

Both be students.

Each get something educationally beneficial out of the collaboration.

Be equals either in terms of ability level or status as 'students'.

There is no one peer learning strategy.

Any strategy involving collaboration of peers in a learning situation could be called 'peer learning'.

9 Types of Peer Learning

1. Proctor model.

The proctor model involves senior students tutoring junior students.

The senior student can be:

An older student from a higher grade level: In this instance, the older student benefits from the peer tutoring scenario because they consolidate knowledge they already know ('the best way to learn is to teach'). They may also undertake the task to develop mentorship and leadership skills.

A more skilled student helping a less skilled student in the same class: In this instance, the students may be the same age level and in the same class. However, one student is significantly more advanced than the other. This student acts as the 'more knowledgeable other', helping bring the other students up to their level. The more skilled student may benefit from this scenario by refining their knowledge and being able to apply it in their explanations.

2. Discussion seminars.

Discussion seminars are common in higher education. They usually occur following a lecture or prepared study (such as a weekly reading).

The purpose of the discussion seminar is for peers to talk together in a group about the topic they have just learned about.

Discussion seminars tend to be unstructured and designed to have students jump in with thoughts or contributions when they feel they have something important to add.

A teacher may present the students with a stimulus question or object. The students use that stimulus as an entry point into a discussion of the nuances, contradictions and features of the topic at hand.

For discussion seminars to be successful, teachers need to create a safe, comfortable space where students feel free to speak up in front of their peers.

3. Peer Support Groups.

Peer support groups are also known as private study groups. These tend not to have a teacher's presence and are often organized by peers themselves.

Common peer study groups take place during free time, after school or on weekends.

A peer study group can be beneficial for motivating students in the lead-up to exams or assignment due dates.

4. Peer Assessment Schemes.

The benefits of peer assessment schemes involve:

Being able to see how other students have gone about the task.

Getting insight into the cognitive processes and study strategies other students used.

Learning diplomatic communication skills.

A requirement to think critically about how to address a topic or task.

5. Collaborative Projects

Collaborative projects are common in science lab work. They involve getting students together to work on a problem that has been presented to them by the teacher.

Collaborative projects are very popular in 21st Century approaches such as problem based learning and problem posing education.

When students work together on longer-term projects, additional benefits may arise such as:

Negotiation skills.

Skill sharing capabilities.

Setting and meeting deadlines.

Interdependence ('we sink or swim together')

Collaborative projects can involve groups from as small as pairs up to large group collaborations.
Read Also: Collaborate vs Cooperative Learning
6. Cascading Groups.

Successively smaller: The class starts out as a large group then splits in half for a follow-up activity. Then, those two groups split into halves again, and then again, until students end up in pairs or as individuals.

Successively larger: Often called 'think-pair-share', this method involves starting out as an individual, then pairing up, then going into a group of 4, then 8, and so on.

A cascading group lesson has several benefits:

In successively smaller groups, students can nominate areas of a topic they want to specialize in. They start with a general overview in the large group, then become experts on their small piece of the pie when they pair off to work alone.

The successively smaller groups method also provides students with the chance to get support in larger groups to build up their knowledge before peeling off to work alone.

In successively larger groups, students start off with their own thoughts which they then contribute to the larger group. As the groups get larger, students can pick up other students' ideas and perspectives and build their knowledge more and more 'from the ground up'.

7. Workplace mentoring.

Workplace mentoring involves having people in a workplace to pair up to support one another.

This can involve:

Mentor-Mentee Relationship: A more established member of the workplace team mentors a new member of the team. This method closely mirrors the situated learning approach, whereby an apprentice is slowly absorbed into the workplace by observing their peers go about their work.

Peer Support: On a regular basis, peers will watch one another go about their work to provide and receive tips and help on how to do the tasks more effectively or efficiently.

8. Reciprocal teaching.

Reciprocal teaching involves having students develop skills in scaffolding their peers' learning. It has four skills that students should develop:

Questioning: ask each other questions to test knowledge.

Predicting: ask each other to predict answers based on limited knowledge.

Summarizing: ask each other to sum something up in shorter terms.

Clarifying: ask for help when you're not sure about something.

9. Expert Jigsaw Method

The expert jigsaw method involves getting students into two successive groups:

Session 1: In the first instance, each group focuses on a different aspect of a topic.

Session 2: Then, students peel off and re-form new groups. Each new group should have one member of each of the previous groups. This ensures that every group has one expert on a specific aspect of the topic. These new groups then go about a task, knowing there is breadth of knowledge amongst the group members.

Theoretical Foundation

Peer support in learning is underpinned by the sociocultural theory of education. The theory holds that learning and development can be progressed faster through social interactions.

This theory's key proponents include Lev Vygotsky, Barbara Rogoff and Jerome Bruner.

Central aspects of the theory include:

Scaffolding: Students can learn better when support is provided by a 'more knowledgeable other'. When a student's skills have developed sufficiently, the support is removed.

Language Acquisition: Through social interaction, students develop the domain specific language required to discuss topics like mathematics, history, etc.

Multiple Perspectives: By interacting with others, we see things from their perspectives which can open up new understandings about topics.

For more on the sociocultural approach, read my full post on the sociocultural theory of education.

Benefits and Challenges (Pros and Cons) of Peer-to-Peer Learning

Students see each other's perspectives to help them progress their knowledge.

Teaching others helps us to learn a topic in even more depth.

Social interaction may help motivate students to learn.

Studying together can become 'fun', which in turn may encourage students to continue to focus on the topic for longer.

Challenges

Working in groups can be distracting for students, especially if some members of the group are not as focused as others.

Some students work better in silence or isolation where they have time to think and focus.

Students with sensory or behavioral challenges may struggle in peer-to-peer interactions.

Students need to be explicitly taught group work and self-regulation skills before group work is a success.

Students may not respect the critical feedback that their peers provide.

Final Thoughts

Teaching, learning from and interacting with peers is an incredibly useful strategy.

I've found that no matter how hard I try, sometimes a child is far better at explaining an idea to another child than I'll ever be. They just have the capacity to speak to each other at the same level!

Peer interactions are incredibly important for learning in classrooms and the workplace.

References and Further Reading
All citations below are inAPA format:
Boud, D., Cohen, R., & Sampson, J. (2014). Peer learning in higher education: Learning from and with each other. London: Routledge.

Keenan, C. (2014). Mapping student-led peer learning in the UK. York: Higher Education Academy.

O'donnell, A. M., & King, A. (2014). Cognitive perspectives on peer learning. London: Routledge.

Riese, H., Samara, A., & Lillejord, S. (2012). Peer relations in peer learning. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 25(5), 601-624.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Peer to Peer Learning - Examples, Pros & Cons (2020)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Peer learning occurs when students engage in collaborative learning. Peers can: Learn with each other. Learn from each other. One learn from the other. Peers should: Both be students. Each get something educationally beneficial out of the collaboration. Be equals either in terms of ability level or status as 'students'.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Handbook Cards 2018 Pilot Materials_Underlying Anger_Dec18

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Handbook Cards 2018 Pilot Materials_I Statement_Dec18

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Handbook Cards 2018 Pilot Materials_Fido_Dec18

# data[].attributes.body
What’s going on under the
surface when people are angry?
Some people are like volcanoes -
their anger bubbles up until they
explode. Other people are more
like icebergs - the majority of
their feelings are hidden beneath
the surface.
Usually we see what’s on the
surface - the anger - but we
don’t always know what’s going
on at a deeper level, either inside
the volcano or underneath the
iceberg.
Often we find:
•   Hurts
•   Needs
•   Fears

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Handbook Cards 2018 Pilot Materials_Underlying Anger_Dec18

# data[].attributes.headline
A summary of Peer Coaching Basics by Laura Gogia: 

# data[].attributes.subject
A summary of Peer Coaching Basics by Laura Gogia: 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Human-centered design is all about talking with people about their challenges, ambitions, and constraints. But as you move through the Inspiration Phase there will be moments where you'll need more context, history, or data than a man-on-the-street style Interview can afford. Social sector challenges can be really thorny, which is why Secondary Research, whether done online, by reading books, or by crunching numbers, can help you ask the right questions. At IDEO.org, we find time and again that a firm foundation of knowledge is the best place from which to tackle a design challenge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Human-centered design is all about talking with people about their challenges, ambitions, and constraints. But as you move through the Inspiration Phase there will be moments where you'll need more context, history, or data than a man-on-the-street style Interview can afford.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Mike Shriberg and Lindsey MacDonald

PDF: Shriberg&MacDonaldJSESpring2013
Abstract: Colleges and universities are rushing to respond to an increasingly urgent challenge: developing the next generation of sustainability leaders. Although diverse in program design, teaching methodologies, assumptions, and skills taught, sustainability leadership programs, with experiential education as a core methodology, are rapidly emerging. This study - the first comprehensive attempt to analyze this phenomenon -explores three primary questions via interviews with 20 program directors and analysis of 50 programs' materials: 1) What program designs and teaching strategies are sustainability leadership programs utilizing? 2) What principles and assumptions underlie these training methodologies? 3) What are the key requisite skills for sustainability leadership development? The analysis reveals that programs currently focus on network-building, systems thinking and project-based learning. Program leaders define sustainability broadly, with an emphasis on social justice. They focus on communication and engagement in defining leadership. Challenges in program design include the tradeoffs of breadth versus depth as well as tradeoffs in training in specific skills versus analytical methods. Programs tend to either focus on leadership with sustainability as one application or sustainability education with leadership as a subtext. Consistent across programs is the emphasis on peer-to-peer learning. Best practices for program design include employing experiential learning, integrating disciplines, moving beyond sustainability knowledge, building community, expanding the boundaries of transformational leadership, change agent training, and acquiring specific skills. While the growth of sustainability leadership programs appears slated to continue in the near-term, the lack of effective assessment limits the ability to demonstrate success and may be a barrier to future growth.

Keywords: Sustainability, Leadership, Experiential Learning

Colleges and universities across the U.S. and world are rushing to respond to an increasingly urgent challenge: developing the next generation of sustainability leaders. The rapidly emerging programs vary widely in goals and methods, departments and disciplines, curriculum, and co-curricular activities, yet share a common mission of sustainability leadership and change-agent training, with experiential learning as a key methodology. This study - the first comprehensive attempt to analyze this phenomenon - explores three primary questions: 1) What program designs and teaching strategies are sustainability leadership programs utilizing? 2) What principles and assumptions underlie these training methodologies? 3) What are the key requisite skills for sustainability leadership development? Using current training methods and theories as a guide, the analysis concludes with a set of best practices for building sustainability leadership skills through academic-oriented programs. These practices inextricably link experiential education and sustainability education, as experiential learning forms the basis for the skill-based training.
(Sustainability) Leadership Theory
Leading for sustainability is challenging in large part due to the "wicked" nature of environmental and interrelated social issues. "Wickedness" - defined as where "facts are uncertain, values in conflict, stakes are high and decisions are urgent, and an extended peer community is required for the resolution of the relevant issues" (Gough et al., 1998) - applies directly to climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion, social inequity, food access and many other sustainability-related issues. Moving on a sustainable path inevitably involves wicked characteristics like stakeholder conflict, deep ethical choices, and layers of uncertainty and interconnection. These qualities require a leadership theory and practice suited to cross-boundary, systems-oriented thought and action (Shriberg, 2012).

Early leadership studies focused on the "great man" theory: leaders are born (mostly as white males), not developed, and have almost mythical qualities that ensure a bevy of followers (Gallagher, 2012). Modern leadership theory first emerged in the 1940s, following the machine-like principles of scientific management (Rost, 1997). This "rational man" model is implemented via command-and-control structures and a strict hierarchical division of labor (Dugan and Komives, 2010). In the 1950s, the transactional leadership theory emerged with the recognition that workers perform better when attention is paid to motivation. While still mechanistic and linear in its approach, transactional leadership emphasizes the role of workers in the success of an organization and a leader by offering rewards for better performance. Transformational leadership, popularized in the late 1970s and still the dominant leadership model taught in higher education (Hunt 1999) and the popular literature, takes this evolution one step further. Charismatic "transformational" leaders transform entire organizations toward a "higher ethical purpose" through their skills in visioning, communication and building trust and loyalty (Bass and Steidlmeier, 1999).

Environmental leadership as a subset of modern leadership theory is in the early developmental phase in the literature and in practice. Early environmental leaders tended to be naturalists and intellectuals (e.g., William Bartram and Ralph Waldo Emerson) or key figures in the civic reform movements of the early 20 th Century (Andrews, 2012). Leadership arose organically, based on local concerns (e.g., sanitation or the protection of a particular area), often with a charismatic figure as the public voice (e.g., John Muir). Organizing locally via loose-knit networks of individuals or fledgling organizations that eschewed hierarchy and structure, most early environmental leaders relied largely on grassroots activism and popular support to propel their agendas. There was no academic field of environmental leadership or class of environmental professionals.

As the environmental movement evolved and expanded during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a class of environmental professionals and more permanent non-profit organizations formed. Concurrently, the fledgling area of environmental leadership studies began to emerge. This form of leadership differed from that of traditional businesses - organizations and their leaders maintain a looser, non-linear structure and function (Egri and Herman, 2000). Non-profit environmental leaders tend to maintain personal values that are more "ecocentric, open to change, and self-transcendent" than traditional managers (Egri and Herman, 2000). These leaders often exhibit both transformational and transactional leadership traits. However, it is unclear how these traits emerge, as training specifically for environmental leadership is sparse and focuses more generally on non-profit management, resource management or environmental business rather than on training for the specific challenges of moving toward sustainability.

Learning in part from the environmental movement and breaking with the traditional mode of leadership training, emerging leadership models with different foci and more decentralized modes of control are becoming more prevalent. For example, ecological leadership (Wielkiewicz and Stelzner, 2010), eco-leadership (Western, 2010) and deep systems leadership (Satterwhite, 2010) are based in principles of ecology and systems thinking, using an ecosystem or ecological web as the analogy for an organization. In this context, leadership is relational, context-dependent and deeply embedded in social, ecological and economic systems. However, these emerging theories have not deeply penetrated the literature and there is minimal training available. For example, Western (2010) argues that eco-leadership is a "lifestyle" more than a skill and that it "cannot be learned through skills training".

Figure 1 shows the evolution of leadership theory over time, as well as the recent emergence of environmental leadership. The concept of sustainability embodies a different, more integrative approach to leadership, visually represented as the bridge between environmental and traditional leadership theory. Given the "wicked" nature of sustainability-related problems and solutions, leadership for sustainability is more than the application of traditional leadership theory and environmental leadership to sustainability. Therefore, institutions of higher education have a novel and difficult task to prepare students to become sustainability leaders. This task goes far beyond defining the problem and saying "have at it" - sustainability leadership involves a specific skill set and mindset, and programs can and should be designed to build this. While there is not currently a recognized model for teaching leadership for sustainability, nor a standard set of skills for these leaders, programs are rapidly emerging in response to the urgent call (and high student interest) to develop more sustainability leaders, typically using experiential learning as a primary methodology. Our analysis is the first attempt to use data from existing programs and theories to provide a sustainability leadership model and methodology for aspiring programs.
Methodology
Sustainability leadership programs were identified via three methods: 1) Review of relevant literature; 2) an English-language internet search; 3) "Snowball" sampling of sustainability leadership program directors or lead faculty to learn about other programs. The search was limited to programs which either have "sustainability" and "leaders" or "leadership" in their titles or have a significant emphasis on leadership skills building in addition to sustainability in their publicly available curriculum and related activities, as of April 2012. Programs which do not have a course specific to leadership nor an identifiable emphasis on leadership skill building were excluded from the study, even if they purported to "create" or "build" sustainability leaders. Moreover, programs which are very limited in duration (e.g., one-time seminars) were excluded. Using this methodology, the sample includes academic-based programs that have a specific focus on teaching students to lead for sustainability as well as three non-academic programs which share similar characteristics.

For all programs in the sample, demographic data about the institution as well as key program elements (including curriculum, co-curricular activities, degree granted, and project/service focus) were gathered. Drawing from the full sample and selecting for program diversity, 42 program directors or lead faculty were approached via email or online form for interviews. One follow-up email was sent if no response was received from the initial email. Twenty phone interviews were conducted and recorded using a Skype recorder. The audio recordings were transcribed and then analyzed using Atlas.tI6. Interviews followed a semi-structured format, covering the following questions:

1. What does "Sustainability" mean in your program? What about "leadership?"

2. What is your programmatic vision? What are your goals and desired outcomes?

3. What skills do your students acquire and develop? How do you know if these skills translate into success beyond the program?

4. How is your program different from a traditional leadership training program? What is the difference in your core assumptions and values?

5. What is the most effective component of your program? Which area has the most room for improvement?

Limitations from this methodology include: potential for selection bias due to lack of an established program list from which to base the selection; potential social desirability bias to email inquiries; and multiple interpretations of the interview questions, with some respondents answering from a personal perspective and others from a program perspective.

Sustainability Leadership Programs Overview
Although lack of a formal designation, affiliation and association make program tracking and monitoring difficult, our research found 50 programs that commonly use the words "sustainability" and "leaders" or "leadership" to describe their programmatic goals and methods, excluding academic majors or minors that do not directly address leadership. A majority (54%) of the institutions studied initiated these sustainability leadership programs in the past three years. Since sustainability leadership lacks standard metrics and best practices, the programs vary widely on nearly every parameter, including core methodologies and approaches (Table 1). As detailed by Deborah Ringling Gallagher in the introduction to Environmental Leadership: A Reference Handbook (2012):

"In universities across the planet, educators from a variety of disciplines have developed programs to inspire and nurture a new generation of environmental leaders. These leadership education programs are housed in schools of the environment, undergraduate departments, interdisciplinary centers, and business schools. They seek to provide students with opportunities in the field to discover and practice emerging leadership skills. They draw on disciplines as varied as philosophy, communication, economics, and political science to cultivate skills needed to inspire collective action."

While programs are intended for multiple audiences, the majority focus on graduate or professional education (70%). Nearly half (46%) of the programs are for credit but do not grant degrees. 56% grant "certificates." Since there is not an industry standard for certification, these certificates - also sometimes identified as fellowships - are based on self-identified criteria specific to each program. While 40% use some online methodologies, nearly all programs report being outside the "normal" curriculum of colleges and universities.

Despite these differences and the somewhat chaotic push to create new curricula around sustainability leadership, our analysis reveals several common features:

Network-building: 32 programs (64%), including many of the online programs, are either cohort-based (i.e., students move through the program together) or have strong team-building activities. Many programs are explicit in their hope to create a supportive learning community for participants and a long-term network of colleagues.

Project-based Learning: 30 programs (60%) require significant project-based learning, often via directed projects or internships as a "leadership capstone." These projects are typically based in the local community but can involve extensive travel-based experiences

Systems Thinking: 21 programs (42%) explicitly focus on systems thinking as a framework for analysis and action. While the degree to which this focus carries through in curricular and pedagogical outcomes varies widely, systems thinking as a concept is highly valued in program design

A common linkage between these programs is a focus on experiential learning. The strong prevalence of project-based learning and the interactions between participants are based on the potential of experiential learning to ensure that classroom lessons on sustainability can be integrated into practice.
Table 1: Profile of Sustainability Leadership Programs Defining Sustainability & Leadership
Interviewees exhibited a high level of consistency in their definitions of sustainability (Figure 2). In addition to environmental sustainability, half of the interviewees mentioned economic sustainability while over 40% mentioned social sustainability. Social justice plays a strong role in program director's definitions of sustainability - with the words "social", "justice" and "equity" being repeated frequently. This implies a strong focus on the "triple bottom line" of economic, social and environmental sustainability (mentioned explicitly in 33% of the interviews) alongside the traditional "meeting the needs of the presentation generation without compromising the needs of future generations" (Brundtland Commission) definition. The strong social justice focus is surprising, given that most of the curriculums focus on environmental management in addition to more general sustainability principles, with little explicit attention to social issues.

Most program leaders referenced moving beyond "sustaining" resources into definitions that refer to restoration and improving quality of life. For example, one interviewee called sustainability "a world that works" while another stated sustainability is "not just about the status quo, it's about making things better than they already are." Finally, a program director stated sustainability is about "reaching the potential of what human beings can be on the planet and helping us all grow." 44% of program directors included an action-orientation or time-orientation in their framing of sustainability, demonstrative the active nature of the concept to program leaders.

Most programs define leadership as engaging people and utilizing group skills (over 50% of interviewees) (Figure 3). The most colorful comment on this form of leadership included: "It doesn't matter if you are a prostitute or prime minister, and everything in between, everyone has the potential to be a leader in sustainability." One program director emphasized the leveraging power of groups, "the ability of individuals to make more change than they could have just through their own efforts...any time an individual is able to leverage their time and get others to follow their example or take efforts that they wouldn't have done otherwise, really leveraging their own thoughts and their own effort." Other words that appear often in leadership definitions include "process", "collaboration", "facilitation" and "engage", demonstrating the change orientation and group dynamics that program directors value.

Program directors, most of whom have a sustainability background but not a leadership background, had difficulty answering the question of how their programs differed from traditional leadership programs. Three interviewees claimed that sustainability leadership is the same as other forms of leadership, just within a different context. Five others said that the multiple vested interests and disciplines make sustainability quite different. A number of respondents prefaced their answer to this question by acknowledging that they were not very familiar with transformational leadership theory and the other basic theories taught in traditional leadership programs.
Program Designs & Challenges
Sustainability leadership program directors struggle with the program design tradeoff of depth versus breadth. Just over 50% of program directors interviewed focus on "broadening sustainability literacy" priorities while slightly less than 50% focus on "inspiring sustainability leadership" in depth. This choice involves a major tradeoff in terms of training time and focus. Program directors also struggle with the degree to which programs should focus on specific, tangible skills versus emphasizing a general way of thinking. In terms of skills, 60% of interviewees cite effective communication as a critical outcome of their programs. They view communication broadly: in the context of stakeholder engagement, negotiating power bases, interaction between participants, coalition building, communicating one's own story, relationship establishment, facilitation, managing multiple perspectives, articulating a cause, negotiation skills, and public speaking skills, for example. One Program Director explains the importance of effective communication by saying, "you can be the most effective leader, very skilled, very knowledgeable, but if you cannot communicate effectively the need for people to be involved, how they should be involved, and how to in turn engage others and how to promote and communicate your success, it is going to fall flat."

Approximately 33% of program directors interviewed cite systems thinking as a key skill and perspective they are attempting to build. The implementation of this perspective varies widely across programs, with - for example - separate courses on systems thinking, an integrated approach to systems thinking throughout the program or a retreat focused on systems thinking. One Program Director explains that he wants his students to have "the ability to look at systems as a whole, and to think about ecological systems and at the same time think about economic and social systems in a systems kind of way."

25% of interviewees cited self-assessment and self-analysis as a key skill that their programs build. Using phrases such as "helping people recognize their potential", "telling of your own story," "understanding the first person you lead is yourself," and "being reflective about your own leadership journey," programs strive to use self-analysis as a critical learning framework.

Program directors cite their students as the key factor in their program's success, with recruitment as a key program design challenge and opportunity. "Peer-to-peer learning" or "diversity of participant perspectives" were noted as the most effective program components by 50% of interviewees while the value of personal experiential "story sharing" was very common as well. This community-based model leads to more non-traditional teaching methods, with lectures compromising a relatively small proportion of teaching methodologies and experiential learning emphasized. Group projects, retreats, community engagement, learning circles and other peer-based and cohort-building activities are key parts of the sustainability leadership training programs that come from this perspective.
Influence of Program Design on Approach to Leadership Training
Programs that have degrees associated with them use more traditional leadership theory and training techniques than non-degree programs. Relying more on transformational leadership and other aspects of leadership theory, degree-based programs are more grounded in the literature and standard practice. For example, Pennsylvania State University's minor in sustainability leadership combines courses to enrich knowledge of sustainability with a course that covers general leadership topics (Ethical Leadership, Leadership Studies, and Leadership for Social Change are all possibilities to meet this requirement).

Cohort-based programs define leadership in terms of group engagement and collaboration. They report communication as a key skill in far higher numbers than programs which are asynchronous or not based on a cohort model. Moreover, cohort-based programs value peer-to-peer learning and diversity significantly more than non-cohort programs. Conceptions of sustainability leadership as a group process are heavily influenced by this program design.

Programs that deliver the majority of their content online have, counter-intuitively, the same level of emphasis on peer-to-peer learning as brick-and-mortar programs. Program directors report that, since online programs are a relatively new methodology and are often under increased scrutiny, they have worked to maintain and enhance peer-to-peer learning. For example, the Duke Environmental Leadership Master of Environmental Management has a place-based, experiential program orientation as a way to develop community before the students begin interacting with each other primarily online.

Situational and grassroots leadership is emphasized in 50% of the programs in which there is a professional development focus. These programs instill in their participants that, no matter what their job is, they have the potential to lead for sustainability. Moreover, programs that are focused on professional development have goals, visions, and outcomes that are centered around leadership skills for sustainability, while the programs that are not focused on professional development are centered around broadening sustainability literacy. Professional development programs more frequently address systems thinking as a key skill than non-professional development programs.

The three programs not housed in academic institutions (Table 1) focus on collaboration and individual strengths contributing to larger group goals and vision. These programs communicate that leadership for sustainability requires a different kind of training than has traditionally been used to teach leadership skills. Moreover, these programs communicate a stronger focus on developing leaders than teaching sustainability. These programs are very intentional in their participant selection, citing this as one of their most effective program components.
Sustainability Literacy vs. Leadership Training
Sustainability leadership programs fall into two main categories: Leadership training with sustainability as the application, and sustainability education programs with leadership as one application. Leadership training programs are often located in professional development programs, or other forums that traditionally provide this type of training. Sustainable education programs tend to be located in environmental or sustainability schools and departments that are branching out into leadership training.

Sustainability education programs introduce the concept of leadership through the lens of sustainability, drawing on ecological theory and environmental education.

They tend to mirror more traditional environmental or sustainability academic programs, with leadership as a sub-theme for training. Courses and programs introduce the big themes and wicked problems associated with sustainability and use leadership as a context for analysis. 66% of these programs report a focus on experiential learning through projects.

Leadership programs with sustainability as the application tend to have a narrower and well-defined leadership training path, likely because this is the traditional realm of leadership training and sustainability has only recently been added as a training pathway. The programs - typically offered for advanced students or current professionals - focus more on self-reflection, communication and specific skills associated with leadership, under the assumption that students have already achieved basic sustainability literacy. 62% of these programs highlight systems thinking; transformational leadership is commonly taught. Professional development is a key mission as opposed to basic sustainability literacy, with cohorts typically used for benchmarking self-analysis as well as network analysis. For example, the Centre for Sustainability Leadership calls the first phase of their program, "Going within." This phase focuses on student development and personal changes. The students are then matched up with a mentor that will help them succeed in their professional field of interest.

The differences between these types of programs are significant. Although many programs follow a hybrid model, the different perspectives and baselines drive program design and implementation and, ultimately, the student experience and skillset derived from participation.
University of Michigan's Experience
The University of Michigan (U-M) has two sustainability leadership programs that were designed using the sustainability leadership theory outlined in this article combined with the best practices of other sustainability leadership programs around the country and world. The programs have wrestled with the inevitable tradeoffs in program implementation, particularly in terms of placement within the university curriculum and with how much sustainability content to deliver as opposed to specific skills and frameworks for analysis. Being embedded within an interdisciplinary institute (the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute) that sits directly under the Provost offers advantages in terms of visibility, reach and resources but disadvantages in terms of curriculum delivery. Both programs opted for a strong cohort model with a basis in skills, using alternative means (e.g., a summer reading) to deliver content-based knowledge. Both programs are explicitly designed to prepare future leaders to help solve the "wicked" problems that comprise the grand challenge of sustainability.

The Graham Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars Program combines leadership training with organizational change theory and practice, emphasizing interdisciplinary thinking and action. The program largely eschews sustainability literacy in favor of leadership skills development through a systems thinking, project-based, experiential curriculum. The program accepts up to 30 high-performing sophomores each year from a diverse set of majors and schools/colleges. Scholars engage in a two-year, 11-credit series of coursework, which includes (in approximate chronological order): Interdisciplinary Thinking for Sustainability (1 credit); Sustainability & the Campus (3 credits); Field-Based Sustainability Course or Experience (3 credits); Interdisciplinary Sustainability Elective (3 credits); Capstone Seminar on Sustainability Leadership Development (1 credit).

Beyond coursework, U-M Scholars participate in leadership and cohort-building activities to strengthen connections and foster broad-based learning. For example, Scholars begin the program with a 3-day retreat then visit a ropes course early in the academic year to build leadership and group process skills. Scholars meet informally at least monthly to discuss topics from a Northwest Earth Institute sustainability discussion guide, view documentaries or meet with practitioners. They also engage with speakers and others on campus in an informal setting at least once per semester. In addition, each semester features several purely social events in addition to informal networking at academic events. Finally, Scholars create many other opportunities to engage and connect on their own, which the Graham Institute helps to facilitate and support.

Similarly, the Graham Doctoral Sustainability Fellows Program reaches future sustainability leaders in academia and beyond at a critical stage in their intellectual development: while they are writing their dissertations. The goal is to create a lifelong "Community of Scholars" devoted to developing and implementing innovative ideas in pursuit of sustainability. The group represents a wide range of interests, and each recipient receives up to $50,000 over two years to support their research, academic studies and intellectual development. Fellows meet monthly in one of two formats. The first format involves student presentations of their doctoral work in the context of the larger sustainability questions it raises. After the brief presentation, a Fellow from a different field facilitates a conversation that proceeds online (through a blog) as well as in person (through an informal gathering), culminating in a discussion during the next monthly seminar. The goal is to move beyond the micro-details of doctoral research into the realm of deep sustainability analysis. At the end of each academic year, the Fellows present the results of their discussions to their academic advisors and other key stakeholders at a celebratory event. The second format is a series of leadership skills building workshops on topics such as communication, navigating interdisciplinary research, and preparing for job searches.

Outside of seminars, Fellows collaborate on a project, examples of which include a published paper in Sustainability Science on the interdisciplinarity of the use of sustainability in different fields, the creation of a field-based sustainability course (for Graham Sustainability Scholars and others) in Detroit and the formation of a new journal - Michigan Journal of Sustainability. Through this mix of financial support, intellectual exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and social activities, U-M seeks to build future sustainability leaders with the ability to understand and effectively communicate the complex and interdisciplinary nature of sustainability.
Lessons Learned for Program Design & Implementation
Sustainability leadership programs are tremendously diverse. With highly variable participant demographics comes a wide array of program needs and desires. Programs are focused on providing sustainability knowledge, inspiring leadership for sustainability, or attempting to do both. However, this emerging area suffers from a lack of common frameworks, methods and metrics. Therefore, a key challenge is to identify best practices that allow for a diversity of program delivery formats yet effective outcomes that translate into success in the field. Our analysis of program materials, interviews with program directors, and case study at the University of Michigan reveals a set of best practices for program design and implementation based on self-reports of effective outcomes combined with review of leading theories. These best practices include:

Employing Experiential Learning: Programs should move beyond the classroom into the local community or other setting where application can be practiced in an experiential way. Much of this experiential learning can come from within leadership cohorts. Without practical application, the programs feel disconnected and disengaged.

Integrating Disciplines: While many programs strive to be interdisciplinary, approaching from multiple disciplines without integration may lead to confusion and frustration rather than skills development. Leading programs use integrative methods - such as systems thinking - to help establish a pattern of thinking among leaders that is more than the sum of the individual disciplines. With an emphasis on connectivity and leverage points, sustainability leadership training can provide strong professional preparation.

Moving Beyond Sustainability knowledge: While sustainability has the potential to be an integrative leadership theme, programs should inspire thinking and action that move beyond the static nature of sustainability into restoration, resilience and other strengthening concepts. Sustainability can form a strong basis for sustainability leadership training, if students are encouraged to think beyond the current state into an envisioned future of ecological, social and economic abundance in a steady-state economy. Few people wake up motivated to "sustain" - they want to create a better world.

Building Community: While the quality of instruction is of obvious importance, the key criterion for success in skill development is the quality of the community of practice built around the program. Whether online or brick-and-mortar, sustainability leadership students learn best from their peers, who often challenge them in unique and innovative ways. Strong program design creates the platform for this community building, often via experiential learning.

Moving Beyond Transformational Leadership: Programs that start and end with transformational leadership - the typical model in business schools and popular literature - miss the rich impact that systems and ecological leadership theory have on organizations and individuals. While the vision and shared sense of responsibility that transformational leadership engenders can be a base of training, the systems and ecological lens is required for actualization when dealing with a wicked problem like sustainability. Sustainability leadership cannot be taught solely with traditional leadership theory.

Change Agent Training: Students go into these programs less interested in building "literacy" than in becoming or advancing their abilities as change agents. Recognizing ecological and interrelated social and economic threats in the program can serve as a launching point for change agent training.

Acquiring Specific Skills: Programs should have a specific set of skills that students will acquire or hone through their program. High on this list is visioning and communication as well as systems thinking and self-assessment, with many other potential skills as distinguishing points for specific programs. Moreover, programs should link specific training techniques with the identified skill-based outcomes, a major gap in the programs to date.

In implementing these best practices, sustainability leadership programs can begin to tackle the challenge of distinguishing themselves from "standard" leadership programs. If these programs are going to continue to grow and thrive into the future, this distinction will need to emerge systematically and thoughtfully.

Although each program leader has a different idea of what success means, there is a strong sentiment that sustainability leadership programs are translating to success for participants. However, program evaluation has generally not moved beyond anecdotal evidence. Program directors cite the relative newness of programs as well as a lack of clarity for the metrics to evaluate program success as the reasons for the lack of formal assessment. Metrics that arose as possibilities included: environmental and social impact, job acquisition, performance in jobs, and alumni networking. Unfortunately, since most programs have not begun to tackle program evaluation using these metrics, there is potential for a widespread questioning of the efficacy of these programs. While there is no sign of the sustainability leadership program boom slowing in the short-term, careful attention to evaluation - and incorporating this feedback into program design - will be key to long-term success and stability.

References

Andrews, R. N. L. (2012) History of environmental leadership. In: Gallagher, D. R. (Ed.) Environmental leadership: A reference handbook, Vol. 1. SAGE Publications, Los Angeles, pp. 17-28.

Bass, B. M. and P. Steidlmeier (1999) Ethics, character, and authentic transformational leadership behavior. Leadership Quarterly Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 181-217.

Dugan, J. P. and Komives, S. R. (2010) Influence on college students' capacities for socially responsible leadership, Journal of College Student Development, Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 525-549.

Egri, C. P. and Herman, S. (2000) Leadership in the North American environmental sector: Values, leadership styles, and contexts of environmental leaders and their organizations. The Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 571-604.

Gallagher, D. R. (2012) Why environmental leadership? In: Gallagher, D. R. (Ed.) Environmental leadership: A reference handbook, Vol 1. SAGE Publications, Los Angeles, pp. 3-10.

Gough, C., Castells, N. and Funtowicz, S. (1998) Integrated Assessment: An emerging methodology for complex issues. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, Vol. 3, pp. 19-29.

Hunt, J. G. (1999) Transformational/charismatic leadership's transformation of the field: An historical essay. Leadership Quarterly Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 129-144.

Rost, J. C. (1997) Moving from individual to relationship: A postindustrial paradigm of leadership, The Journal of Leadership Studies, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 3-16.

Satterwhite, R. (2010) Deep systems leadership: A model for the 21st century, Redekop, B. W. (Ed.), Leadership for Environmental Sustainability, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 230-242.

Shriberg, M. (2012) Sustainability leadership as 21st century leadership. In: Gallagher, D. R. (Ed.) Environmental leadership: A reference handbook, Vol. 2. Sage Publications, Los Angeles, pp. 469-480.

Western, S. (2010) Eco-leadership: Towards the development of a new paradigm, Redekop, B. W. (Ed.), Leadership for Environmental Sustainability, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 36-54.

Wielkiewicz, R. M. and Stelzner, S. P. (2010) An ecological perspective on leadership theory, research, and practice, Redekop, B. W. (Ed.), Leadership for Environmental Sustainability, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 17-35.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sustainability Leadership Programs: Emerging Goals, Methods & Best Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Mike Shriberg and Lindsey MacDonald PDF: Shriberg&MacDonaldJSESpring2013 Abstract: Colleges and universities are rushing to respond to an increasingly urgent challenge: developing the next generation of sustainability leaders. Although diverse in program design, teaching methodologies, assumptions, and skills taught, sustainability leadership programs, with experiential education as a core methodology, are rapidly emerging.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Peer coaching can be a great way to work through whatever is troubling you at work, bounce ideas off a trusted thinking partner, and overcome isolation on the job. (Click here to read more about why aid and development workers can benefit from peer coaching and a case of how it's being used by two aid workers in Asia.)
If you'd like to get started with peer coaching, here are 10 tips:

1. Identify a partner you trust. Your peer coach could be someone in another office, someone in your field who works for another organization, a fellow consultant. One critical factor: whoever you choose, you must trust him/her to maintain confidentiality.

2. Invite them to partner with you as your peer coach. Tellthem what you'd like to get out of peer coaching, and why you think the two of you would work well together. If you like, share this blog post and last week's to help flesh out what peer coaching is about.

3. Schedule a time to meet via Skype. Face-to-face meetings can be great, but don't let geographic barriers stop you: Skype video or audio-only calls can also be highly effective. (In fact, as a professional coach a large portion of my coaching is via Skype, with development and aid workers in various countries - my clients will tell you it works!)

4. During your coaching call, you'll each take equal time as the coach and as the coachee. I think that 30 minutes each (for a total of one hour) can work well. However, one proponent of peer coaching suggests 10 minutes each (for a total of 20 minutes). While this seems short to me, if you are pressed for time, even a brief session can be effective. The point is, being short on time should not be an excuse to forego peer coaching. As you and your peer coach work together, you will find the timing that works best for both of you.

5. When it's your turn to be the coachee, identify your area of focus for the coaching session and share this with your peer coach. It could be a project you're working on, a relationship at work that is driving you crazy, a struggle with work/life balance, you name it. Think aloud with your peer coach. Feel free to ask him/her for their perspective, input, and feedback, but focus primarily on generating the solutions yourself. The answers you come up with yourself will be significantly more powerful than any advice that someone else - even a skilled coach - can provide.

6. When it's your turn to be the peer coach, give your partner your full attention while he or she thinks out loud about whatever they choose to focus on. This may not sound like much, but as one of my favorite books says, "the quality of a person's attention determines the quality of other people's thinking." Provide feedback as needed, but encourage your partner to come up with their own answers.

7. Focus on the positive, and what action you can take in the future. Don't let your peer coaching sessions turn into a gripe session. It's okay to let off a bit of steam, but limit the complaining if you want the time you invest in peer coaching to be productive and helpful.

8. Two questions can help bring closure and forward momentum to each session. At the end of coaching conversations, I often ask, "What is your main insight or take-away from this coaching session?" and "What action will you take next?"

9. Set goals and hold each other accountable. If you close each session by identifying your next action, then it's natural to share with your peer coach in your next peer coaching session what you accomplished (or where you got stuck). As you get started with your peer coach, tell him/her how you would like to be held accountable for the "next actions" you've committed to during coaching conversations.

10. At the end of each peer coaching session, schedule the next one. This will help you sustain momentum. Besides, if you don't set up your next session right away, scheduling it will just become another item on your lengthy To Do list.

If you're intrigued by peer coaching, I encourage you to give it a try. Commit to four peer coaching sessions, every other week, and then evaluate if it's working for you and your partner. I have a feeling you'll be hooked soon.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with peer coaching! Drop me a line at shana (at) developmentcrossroads (dot) com or leave a comment in the Comments section below.
Photo by Zirconicusso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Tips to Get Started with Peer Coaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Peer coaching can be a great way to work through whatever is troubling you at work, bounce ideas off a trusted thinking partner, and overcome isolation on the job. (Click here to read more about why aid and development workers [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Okay, let's say you and a few colleagues or friends have formed an informal peer coaching network dedicated to helping each other improve performance. What's next? As I described in my last post, you can be either directive or nondirective in your coaching approach. Here, I'll offer ideas for how you can increase your ability to do both forms well, and so enjoy the benefits of being part of a fruitful and fun coaching community.
The Directive Approach - Giving Useful Feedback
The essence of directive coaching is providing feedback. Take this approach when your goal as a coach is to instruct others on what they've done well and what they can do to improve.

As a coach, one of the main gifts you have to offer to anyone who you've seen in action is to express to them your observation of that action and its consequences. It's best to present your impressions straightforwardly and with compassion. The quality and sensitivity of a coach's feedback can make a huge difference in spurring growth. On the other side, to be an effective client (or coachee), the primary challenge you face is to remain open and manage your natural tendency to be defensive in reacting to feedback - information about your actions and their consequences - that is in some way inconsistent with how you currently view yourself. Getting good at both giving and receiving directive coaching requires practice. Very few people are naturally gifted in this essential skill.

In providing directive feedback, your main responsibility is to identify strengths and clarify areas for improvement that address your client's goals, while at the same time finding ways to reduce his or her defensiveness. You produce value as a peer coach when you give feedback that, first and foremost, addresses goals that are a real priority for them, not for you. It's useful, too, for you to push your clients to stretch and go as far as they can in pursuing the goals that matter to them.

I've found that the best way to offer feedback is to prepare what you're going to say in advance and to make sure it's balanced, not overly positive or negative; a mix of both is best, not least because it enhances your credibility and your client's trust that you're being candid. Be direct and specific about what you've seen and the consequences of your client's actions. Of course, if you are being constructively critical - pointing out a client's mistake or area for improvement - you've also got to offer a constructive suggestion or two.

When you give directive feedback, you want to make sure that what you've said is what has actually been heard and understood by your client. The easiest way to do this is to simply ask your client to repeat back to you how she took what you said and what it means to her. Finally, it's almost always a good idea to conclude an offering of directive feedback with an expression of your interest in providing follow-up assistance, leaving the door open for future opportunities for you to help.
The Nondirective Approach - Asking Smart Questions
The essence of nondirective coaching is simply asking useful, probing questions. Many people fear change because it forces them into unknown territory, where things are unpredictable and unfamiliar. And yet there are predictable stages people go through when they undertake intentional change. In taking the non-directive approach, your goal is to help others to see and feel the need to create meaningful, sustainable change. Here are the stages and some of the key questions to ask in helping your clients to face the challenges associated with each:

What's the problem?
The first step is identifying the need for change. This can be difficult, as many of us ignore information that disconfirms our current perceptions or threatens the status quo. Coaches can help identify blind spots - by encouraging self-reflection about things that aren't obvious to their clients. As a coach, basic questions to ask to increase awareness are:
-As you think about your goals, what's not working well in your life?
-What are the consequences of this issue for you and for the important people in your life?
-What is the source of the need to change - is it in you or is it external?
Why bother?
The next stage is about the belief that the need to change is urgent enough to take action. Because we naturally tend towards continuing the status quo, if doing something new doesn't feel urgent, it's not likely to occur. Coaches can help raise urgency by asking questions such as these:
-Looking ahead, what will happen if you don't change?
-What will happen if you do change?
What's your decision?
The decision to change is a crucial moment because it marks the point when your mind shifts and you begin to see a different future. It is also a fragile point in planned change processes, fraught with temptations to revert to the way things have always been and distractions away from the focused effort that's required to do something new and make it stick. However, coaches can help clients reach and move beyond this point by asking:
-What have you decided to do differently and why?
-What is the ideal outcome?
-What are your new goals?
What steps exactly?
What are the possible step-by-step actions the client can take to make this decision real in his or her work and life? Good coaches ask clients to think aloud about what to do differently, how to overcome obstacles, and what skills or sources of support are needed. You can help your client discover specific ideas for how to better accomplish goals by asking:
-What exactly will you do, and when will you do it?
-How will you measure progress?
-What stands in the way, and how will you overcome these barriers?
-How will you generate needed support?
Are you really in?
Generating sufficient commitment to follow through is one of the most challenging aspects of any change process. Because commitment wanes without a sense of urgency, coaches should continually test for this. Coaches can ask:
-What if this is harder than you think?
-What are the first steps - and the next steps - you will take?
-How will you maintain your sense of urgency?
How will you sustain it?
Even if a client has made it through all of the prior stages, it is crucial that he or she receive reinforcement for the positive outcomes gained. Encouragement at every small step builds momentum, and coaches should provide frequent reinforcement and celebrate their clients' successes to bolster confidence and help clients avoid slippage. The key questions here are:
-What impact has your new behavior had on you and others?
-What accomplishments are you proud of achieving?
-Is there a smarter step that might help you build momentum?
-How can I (as your coach) reinforce your commitment to action? Get in the Game!
Directive and non-directive peer coaching can make a real difference in helping people change. Try both methods and then find out what works and what doesn't by asking your clients to critique your actions. Like any other skill, practice as a peer coach - with follow-up assessment of what works and what doesn't, along with support from people (that is, your clients) who are dedicated to helping you become more adept at helping them - makes perfect.

Stewart D. Friedman is Practice Professor of Management at the Wharton School. The former head of Ford Motor's Leadership Development Center, he is the author of Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life. For more, visit www.totalleadership.org.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Okay, let's say you and a few colleagues or friends have formed an informal peer coaching network dedicated to helping each other improve performance. What's next? As I described in my last post, you can be either directive or nondirective in your coaching approach. Here, I'll offer ideas for how you can increase your ability [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator 

# data[].attributes.subject
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator 

# data[].attributes.body
A journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window -- and encourages us to think harder about what we're really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Inside the mind of a master procrastinator

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn’t make sense, but he’s never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window -- and encourages us to think harder about what we’re really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What Are the SMART Criteria?

How to Write a SMART Goal

Paul J. Meyer, businessman, author and founder of Success Motivation International, describes the characteristics of SMART goals in his 2003 book, " Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond." We'll expand on his definitions to explore how to create, develop and achieve your goals:

1. Specific

Your goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won't be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting your goal, try to answer the five "W" questions:

Example

Imagine that you are currently a marketing executive, and you'd like to become head of marketing. A specific goal could be, "I want to gain the skills and experience necessary to become head of marketing within my organization, so that I can build my career and lead a successful team."

2. Measurable

It's important to have measurable goals, so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.

A measurable goal should address questions such as:

How much?

How many?

How will I know when it is accomplished?

Example

You might measure your goal of acquiring the skills to become head of marketing by determining that you will have completed the necessary training courses and gained the relevant experience within five years' time.

3. Achievable

Your goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible. When you set an achievable goal, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it.

An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:

How can I accomplish this goal?

How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?

Example

You might need to ask yourself whether developing the skills required to become head of marketing is realistic, based on your existing experience and qualifications. For example, do you have the time to complete the required training effectively? Are the necessary resources available to you? Can you afford to do it?

4. Relevant

This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it's important to retain control over them. So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you're still responsible for achieving your own goal.

A relevant goal can answer "yes" to these questions:

Does this seem worthwhile?

Is this the right time?

Does this match our other efforts/needs?

Am I the right person to reach this goal?

Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?

Example

You might want to gain the skills to become head of marketing within your organization, but is it the right time to undertake the required training, or work toward additional qualifications? Are you sure that you're the right person for the head of marketing role? Have you considered your partner's goals? For example, if you want to start a family, would completing training in your free time make this more difficult?

5. Time-bound

Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals.

A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:

When?

What can I do six months from now?

What can I do six weeks from now?

What can I do today?

Example

Gaining the skills to become head of marketing may require additional training or experience, as we mentioned earlier. How long will it take you to acquire these skills? Do you need further training, so that you're eligible for certain exams or qualifications? It's important to give yourself a realistic time frame for accomplishing the smaller goals that are necessary to achieving your final objective.

Used with Permission from The Meyer Resource Group,® Inc.

The Pros and Cons of SMART Goals

SMART is an effective tool that provides the clarity, focus and motivation you need to achieve your goals. It can also improve your ability to reach them by encouraging you to define your objectives and set a completion date. SMART goals are also easy to use by anyone, anywhere, without the need for specialist tools or training.

Various interpretations of SMART have meant that it can lose its effectiveness or be misunderstood. Some people believe that SMART doesn't work well for long-term goals because it lacks flexibility, while others suggest that it might stifle creativity. For more information on the potential weaknesses of SMART, see our article, Locke's Goal-Setting Theory.

Frequently Asked Questions About SMART Goals

What does SMART stand for?

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and T ime-bound.

What's an example of a SMART Goal?

Let's say you're a marketing executive, and you think you'd like to become head of marketing. This is a specific goal. You might measure your goal of gaining the skills to become head of marketing by deciding it will take five years. Ask yourself whether gaining these skills is achievable, based on your existing experience and qualifications. Are you at the right point in your career? Is it relevant to what you want? Give yourself a realistic time frame for accomplishing the smaller goals that are necessary to achieving your final objective.

How do I write a SMART goal plan?

Start by asking exactly what you need to accomplish. This will make your goal specific.

Quantify your goals. Measurable goals are easier to track, so build in milestones.

Your goal should be achievable. Is this something you can do with the resources at your disposal?

Think why you're setting this goal. How will it improve your life or career? This is what makes it relevant.

Know exactly when you'll have reached your goal. Have a firm schedule, and stick to it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SMART Goals - How to Make Your Goals Achievable

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Set SMART goals to clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, use your time and resources productively, and achieve what you want at work and in life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Kevin Eikenberry on Leadership & Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our subconscious minds are extremely powerful and when we build routines and habits, it allows us to capitalize on this part of our brain.

In the video below, I will show you six incredible benefits we get when we flex our subconscious with routines and habits.
Tweet it out: Recognize the value and power of your routines - the right ones can change your life for the better. @KevinEikenberry From This Episode:

Sign up to receive an email notification each time we release a new episode of Remarkable TV here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kevin Eikenberry on Leadership & Learning - Insights on leadership and learning by Kevin Eikenberry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our subconscious minds are extremely powerful and when we build routines and habits, it allows us to capitalize on this part of our brain. In the video below, I will show you six incredible benefits we get when we flex our subconscious with routines and habits.

# data[].attributes.headline
4 Essential Tips To Becoming A Better Leader

# data[].attributes.subject
4 Essential Tips To Becoming A Better Leader

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Essential Tips To Becoming A Better Leader

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You don't have to be in managerial role to be a leader; inspire your colleagues and reap the benefits of happier workplace.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Ways To Instantly Increase Your Leadership Presence

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Ways To Instantly Increase Your Leadership Presence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Leadership presence, that illusive but "we know it when we see it" quality, is a blending of personal and interpersonal skills that when combined, send all the right signals. It's how you show up, how you make others feel, and how effectively you communicate both verbally and non-verbally. It's the "wow" factor that sets you up for the next promotion and gives your career that extra boost.

That's what leadership presence is. Here is what it is not:

1. It is not an attribute that is automatically assigned to you because of your business results.

2. It is not necessarily reflective of your true qualities and potential.

Instead, it depends entirely on how other people in the workplace evaluate you. The first key to building leadership presence is to realize that it is all about impression management. As Suzy Monford, CEO Andronico's, says: "You need to show up each day the way you want to be perceived - which is simple to say, but difficult to accomplish unless you do your homework and really know yourself."

I agree. Leadership presence needs to be rooted in your basic values - and the "homework" of knowing your strengths, weaknesses, talents and biases is crucial to aligning people's impression of you with your best authentic self. But I am also aware that small attitudinal or behavioral changes can have an instant and powerful effect on how others perceive you.

As a leader (or a potential leader) you are constantly being evaluated on how well you display confidence, composure, credibility, connection, and charisma. Here are five simple strategies that can influence people's impression of you and instantly increase your leadership presence:
1. Power up your confidence by priming your brain.
Self-confidence is the personality trait most responsible for an individual being seen as having leadership presence. In "The Confidence Effect: Every Woman's Guide to the Attitude that Attracts Success," author Grace Killelea sees the lack of confidence in business women as a major obstacle to their career progression: "While men are prone to overestimate their abilities, all too often women sell themselves short and needlessly languish in marginalized careers. Realizing a high level of achievement requires women to speak out, take risks and assume leadership positions with perceptible self-assurance, but too many otherwise qualified women are not living up to their full potential. Aspiring women must become more inherently confident with the kind of authenticity that will get them noticed and take their careers to new heights."

Confident people (male and female) attract followers by being self-motivated, assured, and willing to take risks. But even the most confident people may suffer a crisis of self-doubt, and that's where having a personal strategy becomes crucial.

One key to displaying confidence is to change your physical posture by standing straight, holding your head up and pulling your shoulders back -- or even holding a "Superman" or "Wonder Woman" pose for two minutes to elevate your testosterone (the power hormone) level.

But another, equally effective strategy, is to prime your brain for higher confidence by recalling a time when you had power over another person or performed a task extremely well. Focus on what happened, how you felt, and what that experience was like. This doesn't have to be a business-related event. It's the emotional memory you are tapping into. Research shows that even thinking about a time when you felt physically attractive can increase your level of confidence.
2. Retain your composure with this mantra.
On the popular U.S. television show Shark Tank, entrepreneurs pitch their companies/products/ideas to a panel of potential investors. One of those investors, Barbara Corcoran, describes how the contestants have to stand in front of the "sharks" for a full five minutes without saying a word as studio lighting is adjusted. Corcoran says, "When I watch someone who's under tremendous pressure, that is a great test. Even before they open their mouth I know who I'm out on. I just sort of come up with a reason 'why' that I can say on camera. But the truth is I know when I'm out fight away because the guy takes his hands out of his pockets, then he's shifting, he's no longer making eye contact, he's sweating bullets, his knees are jiggling. I mean is this a guy I'm going to give my money to?"

You may never be a contestant on Shark Tank, but in any job interview, sales presentation or important business conversation, your emotions (and subsequently your performance) can get high-jacked by high levels of stress.

John Sudol, author of " Acting: Face to Face," coaches actors on how to prepare for an audition, and he offers an interesting insight that applies equally well to business professionals: "One of the things that can throw you off a well-prepared game plan might surprise you. It's the snap judgments you make about what you read on the interviewer's face. In an audition, that automatic judgment can provoke a variety of unwanted feelings and thoughts, such as anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurity. If enough stress is produced it can trigger a limbic response and put you into a freeze-fight-or-flee state.

But when we view someone's face from a place of inner security, we know that what's on their face is about them, so I've adopted the mantra What's on their face is not about me! These words have saved me numerous of times when speaking in large rooms looking out and seeing facial billboards flashing judgment, criticism, boredom, doubt, suspicion. Most often, and ironically, those are the very same people who will approach me after the lecture to thank me for my work and their favorable experience in the audience that day!"
3. Gain credibility by saying the word because.
Credibility is all about how you communicate. It's about body language that's aligned with your verbal message and it's about being truthful, diplomatic, empathetic, succinct, and decisive. But certain words and phrases have almost magical powers to instantly increase your credibility. The word because is one of them.

A study at Harvard, asked people to break into a line of strangers waiting to make photocopies. When asked simply if they could use the photocopier ("Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the machine?"), research subjects were successful 60% of the time. However, when a reason beginning with the word because was added ("May I use the photocopier because I'm in a rush"), the request gained instant credibility, and compliance skyrocketed to 94%.

What's more amazing, it didn't seem to matter what the given reason was ("May I use the photocopier because I need to make copies"), compliance remained at about the same level, 93%.
4. Connect more powerfully by changing your focus.
Capital is defined as "accumulated wealth, especially as used to produce more wealth." Social capital is the wealth or benefit that exists because of your social relationships. I think of social capital as the value created by your connection to others. There is no more valuable commodity in today's business environment, and no more valuable use of your time than to build your professional network, within and external to your organization.

Gayle Hallgren-Rezac and Judy Thomson, networking masters and the co-authors of "WORK THE POND! Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life" talk about ways to optimize any opportunity to network. They say it begins with a change in attitude: Networking is not about promoting yourself or getting new business. It's about creating or deepening professional relationships.

Try this at your next networking event: Enter each conversation with the goal of finding something that you can do for the other person. The minute you take the focus off promoting yourself and put it on assisting others, you dramatically improve your ability to connect.
5. Display your natural charisma by warming up your body language.
It's well known that people won't always remember what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel. I've found that when I speak with a successful executive, I get the feeling that he or she is wonderful - but when I speak with a charismatic leader, I'm made to feel that I am wonderful! My emotional reaction has a lot to do with the body language of the two types of leaders: The first embodies nonverbal cues of confidence and power (which accentuates their prestige and status), while the second radiates charisma through warm, inclusive, and open body language. You will have the most impact if you can send both sets of signals, remembering that studies show leaders with warm body language are perceived more positively and are more persuasive.

The body language of warmth includes positive eye contact, smiles (which we don't see enough of in the workplace) and open postures in which legs are uncrossed, and arms are held away from your body, with palms exposed or resting comfortably on the desk or conference table.

Mirroring is another nonverbal sign of genuine warmth and empathy. You may not realize it, but when you are dealing with people you like or agree with, you'll automatically begin to match their stance, arm positions and facial expressions. It's a way of signaling that you are connected and engaged.

And when it comes to charismatic body language, facing people directly when they're talking is crucial. It shows that you are totally focused on them. Even a quarter turn away signals a lack of interest and makes the other person feel discounted. Of course, giving others your complete attention when they are speaking is one of the warmest signals you can send.

While there are many behavioral and attitudinal strategies that increase your leadership presence, these five simple tips are a good place to start.
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is an international keynote speaker and leadership presence coach. She is the author of The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help - or Hurt - How You Lead. Contact her at Carol@CarolKinseyGoman.com.
... Read More

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways To Instantly Increase Your Leadership Presence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Leadership presence, that illusive but "we know it when we see it" quality, is a blending of personal and interpersonal skills that when combined, send all the right signals. It's how you show up, how you make others feel, and how effectively you communicate both verbally and non-verbally.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known then as the " Chilean mining accident", began on Thursday, 5 August 2010, with a cave-in at the San José copper-gold mine, located in the Atacama Desert 45 kilometers (28 mi) north of the regional capital of Copiapó, in northern Chile. Thirty-three men, trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground and 5 kilometers (3 mi) from the mine's entrance via spiraling underground ramps, were rescued after 69 days.

After the state-owned mining company, Codelco, took over rescue efforts from the mine's owners, exploratory boreholes were drilled. Seventeen days after the accident, a note was found taped to a drill bit pulled back to the surface: "Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33" ( We are well in the shelter, the 33 of us).

Three separate drilling rig teams, nearly every Chilean government ministry, the United States' NASA space agency, and a dozen corporations from around the world cooperated in completing the rescue. On 13 October 2010 the men were winched to the surface one at a time, in a specially built capsule, as an estimated 1 billion people watched via video stream worldwide. With few exceptions all were in good medical condition with no long-term physical effects anticipated. Private donations covered one-third of the US$20 million cost of the rescue, with the rest coming from the mine owners and the government.

Chile's long tradition in mining has made the country the world's top producer of copper. An average of 34 people per year since 2000 have died in mining accidents in Chile, with a high of 43 in 2008, according to figures from the state regulatory agency " National Geology and Mining Service" ( Spanish: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería de Chile abbreviated to SERNAGEOMIN).

The mine is owned by the San Esteban Mining Company, ( Spanish: Compañía Minera San Esteban abbreviated to CMSE), a company notorious for operating unsafe mines. According to an official with the non-profit Chilean Safety Association, ( Spanish: Asociación Chilena de Seguridad, also known as ACHS) eight workers have died at the San José site in the past 12 years while CMSE was fined 42 times between 2004 and 2010 for breaching safety regulations. The mine was shut down temporarily in 2007 when relatives of a miner killed in an accident sued the company; but the mine reopened in 2008 despite non-compliance with regulations, a matter that remains under investigation according to Senator Baldo Prokurica. Due to budget constraints there were only three inspectors for the Atacama Region's 884 mines during the period leading up to the most recent collapse.

Prior to the accident, CMSE had ignored warnings over unsafe working conditions in its mines. According to Javier Castillo, secretary of the trade union that represents San José's miners, the company's management operates "without listening to the voice of the workers when they say that there is danger or risk". "Nobody listens to us. Then they say we're right. If they had believed the workers, we would not be lamenting this now", said Gerardo Núñez, head of the union at a nearby Candelaria Norte mine.

Chilean copper mine workers are among the highest-paid miners in South America. Although the accident has called mine safety in Chile into question, serious incidents at large mines are rare, particularly those owned by the state copper mining company, Codelco or by multinational companies. However, smaller mines such as the one at Copiapó have generally lower safety standards. Wages at the San Jose Mine were around 20% higher than at other Chilean mines due to its poor safety record.

Luis Urzúa, the duty shift supervisor, gathered his men in a room called a " refuge" and organized them and their resources. Teams were sent out to assess the vicinity.

Rescuers attempted to bypass the rockfall at the main entryway through alternative passages but found each route blocked by fallen rock or threatened by ongoing rock movement. After a second collapse on 7 August, rescuers were forced to use heavy machinery while trying to gain access via a ventilation shaft. Concerns that additional attempts to pursue this route would cause further geological movement halted attempts to reach the trapped miners through previously existing shafts, and other means to find the men were sought.

The accident happened soon after sharp criticism of the government's handling of the Chilean earthquake and tsunami. Chile's President, Sebastián Piñera, cut short an official trip and returned to Chile in order to visit the mine.

On 22 August the eighth borehole broke through at a depth of 688 meters (2,257 ft), at a ramp near the shelter where the miners had taken refuge. For days the miners had heard drills approaching and had prepared notes, which they attached to the tip of the drill with insulation tape when it poked into their space. They also tapped on the drill before it was withdrawn, and these taps could be heard on the surface. When the drill was withdrawn a note was attached to it: "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33" (English: "All 33 of us are fine in the shelter"). The words became the motto of the miners' survival and the rescue effort, and appeared on websites, banners and T-shirts. Hours later, video cameras sent down the borehole captured the first grainy, black-and-white, silent images of the miners.

The trapped miners' emergency shelter had an area of 50 square meters (540 sq ft) with two long benches, but ventilation problems had led them to move out into a tunnel. In addition to the shelter, they had access to some 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) of open tunnels in which they could move around and get some exercise or privacy. Food supplies were severely limited and each of the men had lost an average of 8 kilograms (18 lb) by the time they were discovered. Although the emergency supplies stocked in the shelter were intended to last only two or three days, through careful rationing, the men made their meager resources last for two weeks, only running out just before they were discovered.

After leaving the hospital, miner Mario Sepúlveda said "All 33 trapped miners, practicing a one-man, one-vote democracy, worked together to maintain the mine, look for escape routes and keep up morale. We knew that if society broke down we would all be doomed. Each day a different person took a bad turn. Every time that happened, we worked as a team to try to keep the morale up." He also said that some of the older miners helped to support the younger men but all have taken an oath of silence not to reveal certain details of what happened, particularly during the early weeks of desperation.

Shortly after their discovery, 28 of the 33 miners appeared in a 40-minute video recorded using a mini-camera delivered by the government via palomas ("doves", referring to their role as carrier pigeons), 1.5-metre-long (5 ft) blue plastic capsules. The footage showed most of the men in good spirits and reasonably healthy, though they had all lost weight.

"It's been a bit of a long shift", foreman Luis Urzúa joked. A man whose level-headedness and gentle humor is credited with helping keep the miners under his charge focused on survival during their 70-day underground ordeal, Urzúa kept his cool in his first audio contact with officials on the surface. He glossed over the hunger and despair he and his men felt, saying, "We're fine, waiting for you to rescue us."

Urzúa credited majority decision-making for the trapped men's good esprit de corps and dedication to their common goal. "You just have to speak the truth and believe in democracy", he said. "Everything was voted on; we were 33 men, so 16 plus one was a majority."

54-year-old Urzúa was the last man out after 70 long days trapped below the Atacama desert. Following the collapse of the mine on 5 August, he had dispatched men to find out what had happened and see if escape was possible, but they could not find an exit route. "We were trying to find out what we could do and what we could not", said Urzúa. "Then we had to figure out the food." Urzúa tried to instill a philosophical acceptance of fate so they could accept their situation and move on to embrace the essential tasks of survival.

Luis Urzúa (54), the shift foreman who immediately recognized the gravity of the situation and the difficulty of any rescue attempt. He gathered the men in a secure "refuge" then organized them and their meager resources to cope with a long-term survival situation. Just after the incident, he led three men to scout the tunnel. After confirming the situation, he made detailed maps of the area to aid the rescue effort. He directed the underground aspects of the rescue operation and coordinated closely with engineers on the surface over the teleconference links.

Florencio Ávalos (31), second in command of the group, assisted Urzúa in organizing the men. Because of his experience, physical fitness and emotional stability, he was selected as the first miner to ride the rescue capsule to the surface in case of complications during the 15-minute ascent in the cramped shaft. Naturally shy, he served as the camera operator for videos sent up to the miner's families. He was trapped along with his younger brother Renan.

Yonni Barrios (50), became the medic of the trapped miners due to his six months of training he took to care for his elderly mother. He served the group by monitoring their health and providing detailed medical reports to the team of doctors on the surface. His fellow miners jokingly referred to him as "Dr. House", an American TV medical drama character.

Mario Gómez (63), the eldest miner, became the religious leader of the group, organizing a chapel with a shrine containing statues of saints as well as aiding counseling efforts by psychologists on the surface.

José Henríquez (54), a preacher and a miner for 33 years, served as the miners' pastor and organized daily prayers.

Mario Sepúlveda (40), served as the energetic host of the miner's video journals that were sent to the surface to reassure the world that they were doing well. The local media dubbed him "Super Mario" after the Super Mario Bros. video game for his energy, wit and humor.

Ariel Ticona (29), served as the group's communications specialist, installing and maintaining the underground portion of the telephone and videoconferencing systems sent down by the surface team.

On 23 August, the first voice contact was made with the miners. Doctors reported that the miners had been provided with a 5% glucose solution and a drug to prevent stomach ulcers caused by food deprivation. Material was sent down the mine in palomas, which took an hour to reach the miners. Delivery of solid food began a few days later. Relatives were permitted to write letters, but were asked to keep them optimistic.

Out of concern for their morale, rescuers were reluctant to tell the miners that in the worst-case scenario, the rescue might take months, with an eventual extraction date close to Christmas. However on 25 August the trapped men were fully briefed on the projected timeline for their rescue and the complexity of the plans involved. The mining minister later reported that the men took the potentially negative news very well.

Rescue workers and consultants described the miners as a very disciplined group. Psychologists and doctors worked alongside the rescue teams to ensure the miners were kept busy and mentally focused. The men below ground confirmed their ability to contribute to the rescue operation, saying "There are a large number of professionals who are going to help in the rescue efforts from down here." Psychologists believed that the miners should have a role in their own destiny as it was important to maintain motivation and optimism.

Sanitation became an important issue in the hot, humid environment underground, and the miners took steps to maintain hygiene throughout their ordeal.

Environmental and safety issues were also a primary concern.

Chilean Health Minister Jaime Mañalich stated, "The situation is very similar to the one experienced by astronauts who spend months on end in the International Space Station." On 31 August, a team from NASA in the United States arrived in Chile to provide assistance. The team included two physicians, one psychologist, and an engineer.

After the rescue, Dr. Rodrigo Figueroa, chief of the Trauma Stress and Disaster unit of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, said there were serious shortcomings in the censorship of letters to and from miners' relatives above ground and in the monitoring of activities they could undertake, as being underground had suddenly turned them back into "babies". Nevertheless, the natural strength of "the 33" kept them alive, and their natural organization into teams as a response to disaster was also part of the innate human response to threat. Figueroa went on to say that as the miners' sound minds had seen them through, they would continue to be tested as they resumed life above ground.[clarification needed ]

The trapped miners, most of whom were Roman Catholic, asked for religious items, including Bibles, crucifixes, rosaries, and statues of the Virgin Mary and other saints to be sent down to them. After Pope Benedict XVI sent each man a rosary, these were brought to the mine by the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa in person. After three weeks in the mine, one man who had been civilly married to his wife 25 years earlier asked her to enter into a sacramental marriage. The men set up a makeshift chapel in the mine, and Mario Gómez, the eldest miner, spiritually counseled his companions and led daily prayers.

Campamento Esperanza (Camp Hope) was a tent city that sprang up in the desert as word of the mine's collapse spread. At first, relatives gathered at the mine entrance and slept in cars as they waited and prayed for word on the rescue operation's progress. As days turned into weeks, friends brought them tents and other camping supplies to provide shelter from the harsh desert climate. The encampment grew with the arrival of more friends and relatives, additional rescue and construction workers, and members of the media. Government ministers held regular briefings for the families and journalists at the camp. "We're not going to abandon this camp until we go out with the last miner left", said María Segovia, "There are 33 of them, and one is my brother".

María Segovia, the elder sister of Darío Segovia, became known as La Alcaldesa (the Mayoress) for her organizational skills and outspokenness. As the families became more organized, the government took steps to provide some comforts, eventually providing a more private area for the relatives to avoid constant interrogation by the energetic press corps. Infrastructure such as a kitchen, canteen area, sanitary facilities and security were later added. Bulletin boards sprouted up and the local government established shuttle bus stops. Over time a school house and children's play zones were built while volunteers worked to help feed the families. Clowns entertained the children and organizations provided emotional and spiritual comfort to the waiting families. Police and soldiers were brought in from Santiago to help maintain order and security with some patrolling the desert perimeter on horseback. In many respects the camp gradually grew into a small city.

Exploratory boreholes were used to locate the trapped miners, with several of these subsequently used to supply the men. The Chilean government developed a comprehensive rescue plan modeled on the successful 2002 US Quecreek Mine Rescue, itself based on the 1963 German Wunder von Lengede rescue operation. Both previous rescues had used a "rescue pod" or capsule to winch trapped miners to the surface one by one. Chilean rescue crews planned to use at least three drilling technologies to create bore holes wide enough to raise the miners in custom-designed rescue pods as quickly as possible. "The mine is old and there is concern of further collapses", Henry Laas, managing director of Murray & Roberts Cementation, one of the companies involved in the rescue operation, said, "The rescue methodology therefore has to be carefully designed and implemented."

Three large escape boreholes were drilled concurrently using several types of equipment provided by multiple international corporations and based on three different access strategies. When the first (and only) escape shaft reached the miners, the three plans in operation were:

1. Plan A, the Strata 950 (702 meter target depth at 90°)

2. Plan B, the Schramm T130XD (638 meter target depth at 82°) was the first to reach the miners

3. Plan C, a RIG-421 drill (597 meter target depth at 85°)

Plan A used an Australian built Strata 950 model raise borer type drilling rig often used to create circular shafts between two levels of a mine without using explosives. Provided by South African mining company Murray & Roberts, the drill had recently finished creating a shaft for Codelco's Andina copper mine in Chile and was immediately transferred to the San José Mine. Since it weighed 31 short tons (28 t), the drill had to be shipped in pieces on a large truck convoy. The Strata 950 was the first of the three drills to begin boring an escape shaft. If the pilot hole had been completed, further drilling would have caused rock debris to fall down the hole, requiring the miners to remove several tons of debris.

This drill team was the first to reach the trapped miners with an escape shaft. Plan B involved a Schramm Inc. T130XD air core drill owned by Geotec S.A. (a Chilean-American joint venture drilling company) that was chosen by Drillers Supply SA (the general contractor of Plan B) to widen one of the three 14 centimetre (5.5 in) boreholes that were already keeping the miners supplied with palomas. Normally, the drills are used to drill top holes for the oil and gas industry and for mineral exploration and water wells. This system employed Chilean Drillers Supply SA (DSI) personnel, Mijali Proestakis G.M. and Partner, Igor Proestakis Tech Mgr, Greg Hall C.E.O. (who joined his team on site for the last eight days of drilling) and their 18-centimetre (7 in) drill pipe air core drill, a team of American drillers from Layne Christensen Company and specialized Down-The-Hole drilling hammers from Center Rock, Inc., of Berlin, Pennsylvania. Center Rock's president and personnel from DSI Chile were present on-site for the 33 days of drilling. While the Schramm rig, built by privately held Schramm, Inc. of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was already on the ground in Chile at the time of the mine collapse, additional drilling equipment was flown from the United States to Chile by United Parcel Service. The percussion-technology hammer drill can drill at more than 40 meters (130 ft) a day by using four hammers instead of one.

The Schramm T-130 was directed to bore toward the workshop, a space that was accessible by the miners. The T-130 became operational on 5 September and worked in three stages. First, it needed to enlarge the 14-centimetre (5.5 in) hole to a 30-centimetre (12 in) hole. It then needed to drill the 30-centimetre (12 in) hole into a 71 centimetre (28 in) diameter hole. "If we tried to drill from a 14-centimetre (5.5 in) hole to a 71-centimetre (28 in) hole, the torque would be too high and it would ... put the drill bits under too much pressure," said Schramm, Inc. Latin American Regional Manager, Claudio Soto. However by reusing the same hole, there was still added pressure on the drill. Delays occurred because of issues with the neck of the drills caused by the angle of the drilling. Rescuers were unable to drill vertically since that would require placing the heavy rig on the unstable ground where the cave-in had happened, and the rescuers also had to avoid drilling into the production tunnels above the shelter. Soto added, during the rescue, "It's a difficult hole. It's curved and deep. The hard rock has proven to be abrasive and has worn out the steel of the drill."

Plan C involved a Canadian-made RIG-421 oil drilling rig operated by Calgary-based Precision Drilling Corporation. It was the last drill to be added to the rescue process and went into operation on 19 September. The rig, normally used for oil and gas well drilling, could theoretically drill a wide enough escape shaft in a single pass without a pilot hole. RIG-421 is a 43 meters (141 ft) tall Diesel-Electric Triple, which needed 40 truckloads to bring its components from Iquique, Chile, to Copiapó. Chosen for the rescue operation because it can drill large holes deep into the ground and is faster than mining drills, this plan suffered major setbacks due to the difficulty of aiming a large drill at such a small target. Furthermore, the hardness of the rock caused the drill bit to wander from its intended course and it then needed to be removed, resized and repositioned, slowing drilling progress. Many family members of the miners initially had high hopes for this rig, but it was forced to reduce its drill size and so lagged behind the other attempts.

At 08:05 CLDT on 9 October 2010, Plan B's Schramm T130XD was the first to reach the trapped miners. By 8 October, the Plan A Strata 950's pilot hole had reached only 85% of the required depth (598 meters (1,962 ft)), and had not yet started widening its shaft. Plan C's RIG-421, the only machine at the site able to drill a wide enough escape shaft without a pilot hole, reached 372 meters (1,220 ft) (62%).

The rescue operation was an international effort that involved not only technology, but the cooperation and resources of companies and individuals from around the world, including Latin America, South Africa, Australia, the United States and Canada. NASA specialists helped develop a sophisticated health agenda. Though international participation was critical to success, overall, it was a Chilean-led team effort. As one NASA specialist said during a visit early on in the rescue: "The Chileans are basically writing the book."

Fénix rescue capsule

While the three drilling operations progressed, technicians worked on building the rescue capsules that would eventually carry the miners to safety. Several media organizations produced illustrations of the capsules' basic design.

The steel rescue capsules, dubbed (English: Phoenix) were constructed by the Chilean Navy with design input from NASA. The navy incorporated most of NASA's suggestions and produced three rescue pods: Fénix 1, 2 and 3, all enhanced versions of the Dahlbusch Bomb used for mine rescue. Fénix 1 was presented to journalists and the miners' relatives for their assessment.

The eventual capsule used to rescue the 33 men was the Fénix 2, a device 54 centimeters (21 in) in diameter, narrow enough to avoid hitting the sides of the tunnel. It had retractable wheels to allow for a smoother ride to the surface, an oxygen supply, lighting, video and voice communications, a reinforced roof to protect against rock falls, and an escape hatch with a safety device to allow the passenger to lower himself back down if the capsule became stuck.

Although drilling finished on 9 October 2010, Laurence Golborne, Chilean Minister of Mining, announced that the rescue operation was not expected to begin before 12 October due to the complex preparatory work required on both the escape shaft and the extraction system site. These tasks included a borehole inspection to determine how much of the shaft needed casing to prevent rockfalls from jamming the escape capsule. Depending on the shaft casing requirement, installation of the requisite steel pipes could take up to 96 hours. After that, a large concrete platform for the winching rig to raise and lower the capsule had to be poured while the winching rig required assembly. Finally, thorough testing of the capsule and winching system together was required.

Shortly before the extraction phase began, Golborne told reporters that rescuers estimated it would take about an hour to bring each miner to the surface. He therefore expected the lifting phase of the rescue operation to take up to 48 hours.

Rescue operation San Lorenzo

The rescue effort to retrieve the miners began on Tuesday, 12 October at 19:00 CLT. Dubbed Operación San Lorenzo (Operation St. Lawrence) after the patron saint of miners, a three-hour initial delay ensued while final safety tests were carried out. At 23:18 CLT, the first rescuer, Manuel González, an experienced rescue expert and employee of Codelco, was lowered into the mine. During the 18-minute descent, the waiting families and surface rescue team members sang the Canción Nacional, Chile's national anthem. González arrived in the collapsed mine and made contact with the miners at 23:36.

Six hours before his rescue, each miner switched to a liquid diet rich in sugars, minerals, and potassium. Each took an aspirin to help avert blood clots, and wore a girdle to stabilize blood pressure. The miners also received moisture-resistant coveralls and sunglasses to protect against the sudden exposure to sunlight. The capsule included oxygen masks, heart monitors, and video cameras. After a miner was strapped into the 21 inches (53 cm) wide capsule, it ascended about 1 meter per second (2.2 mph), taking 9 to 18 minutes to reach the surface. Piñera was present for each arrival during the 24-hour rescue.

After an alertness check a miner would be taken by stretcher to a field hospital for initial evaluation; none needed immediate treatment. Later they were taken by helicopter to Copiapó Hospital, 60 kilometers (37 mi) away, for 24 to 48 hours of observation.

The original plan called for two rescue workers to descend into the mine before bringing the first miner to the surface. However, to avoid delay, rescuers decided to bring a miner to the surface in the returning capsule that had taken González down. An "empty" trial run had taken place the previous day, with the capsule stopping just 15 meters (49 ft) before the end of the shaft.

After a further safety check, 15 minutes later miner Florencio Ávalos began his ascent from the mine. TV cameras both inside the mine and on the surface captured the event and broadcast it worldwide. Urzúa was the last to ascend.

After stepping free from the rescuers and greeting his son, Urzúa embraced Piñera saying, "I've delivered to you this shift of workers, as we agreed I would." The president replied, "I gladly receive your shift, because you completed your duty, leaving last like a good captain." Piñera went on to say "You are not the same after this, and Chile won't be the same either."

A large Chilean flag that had hung in the mine chamber during the rescue was brought up by Luis Urzúa. Once all the miners had been extracted, the rescuers in the mine chamber displayed a banner reading "Misión cumplida Chile" ("Mission accomplished Chile"). Manuel González was the first rescuer down and the last up, spending 25 hours 14 minutes in the mine. Rescuers needing to sleep did so in the mine to avoid tying up the capsule on rescue-delaying journeys to the surface. When the last rescuer surfaced, Piñera covered the top of the rescue shaft with a metal lid. Altogether, Fénix 2 made 39 round trips, traveling a total distance of about 50 kilometers (31 mi).

Before the rescue, the trapped miners were divided into three groups to determine their exit order. From first to last these were: "hábiles" (skilled), "débiles" (weak) and "fuertes" (strong). This grouping was based on the theory that the first men to exit should be those more skilled and in the best physical condition, as they would be better equipped to escape unaided in the event of a capsule malfunction or shaft collapse. They were also thought more able to communicate clearly any other problems to the surface rescue team. The second group included miners with medical problems, older men and those with psychological issues. The final group comprised the most mentally tough, as they had to be able to endure the anxiety of the wait; in the words of Minister Mañalich "they don't care to stay another 24 hours inside the mine".

The leaving order was as shown below:

Rescued miners

5

Jimmy Sánchez

19

13 October 04:11

1:00

Given the responsibility of checking air quality and the youngest man trapped. He had only been a miner for five months and had just had a baby daughter.

7

José Ojeda

46

13 October 06:22

0:47

Penned the famous note "Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33" (English: "We are well in the shelter, the 33"), which was discovered attached to a probe 17 days after the mine collapse. He is a grandfather who suffers from kidney problems and has been on medication for diabetes.

12

Edison Peña

34

13 October 10:13

0:42

The group's song leader, he requested that Elvis Presley songs be sent down the mine. The fittest miner, he had reportedly been running 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) a day while underground. He ran in the New York City Marathon in 2010 and 2011, and the Tokyo Marathon in February 2011.

Jacob Vargas

14

Víctor Zamora

33

13 October 11:32

0:37

A mechanic who only went into the mine on the day of the collapse to fix a vehicle. He was also in the 2010 Chile earthquake.

17

Omar Reygadas

56

13 October 13:39

0:49

A bulldozer operator whose children kept a diary of their life above ground shown on BBC News.

27
Franklin Lobos
53

13 October 19:18

0:27

A former football player known as the "magic mortar".

33

Luis Urzúa

54

13 October 21:55

0:25

The shift foreman, known as Don Lucho by other miners, took a leading role while they were trapped and made more accurate maps of their cave for the rescue crews.

Lou Diamond Phillips

Note: Early in the disaster, the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio published a widely circulated, but incorrect, early list of the miners' names with two errors: it omitted Esteban Rojas and Claudio Acuña and wrongly included the names of Roberto López Bordones and William Órdenes. The list above is correct and up to date according to the Ministry of Mining website.

Notes:

1. The extraction times for the rescuers are correct but may be out of order and not listed next to the actual corresponding rescue worker.

2. "Down trip no." is the sequence number of the capsule journey that he was sent down on.

This is a general chronology of the events, from the beginning:

5 August 2010: Rock-fall at the San José mine in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile leaves 33 gold and copper miners trapped 700 metres (2,300 ft) below ground.

7 August 2010: Second collapse hampers rescue efforts and blocks access to lower parts of the mine. Rescuers begin drilling boreholes to send down listening devices.

22 August 2010: 17 days after the first collapse, a note is found attached to one of the drill bits, saying: "Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33" (English: "We are well in the shelter, the 33"). The miners were in a shelter having lunch when the first collapse occurred, and had survived on rations. Food, medical supplies, clothes and bedding began to be sent down the borehole.

27 August 2010: The miners send first video greetings to the surface.

30 August 2010: First attempt to drill a hole to rescue the men, Plan A, begins.

5 September 2010: Plan B drilling begins.

18 September 2010: Miners celebrate Chilean Bicentennial holiday underground.

19 September 2010: Plan C drilling begins.

24 September 2010: Miners had now been trapped underground for 50 days, longer than anyone else in history.

9 October 2010: Plan B drill breaks through to the miners' workshop.

11 October 2010: "Fénix 2" rescue capsule is tested to ensure that it can pass up and down the newly completed shaft.

12 October 2010: Rescue begins at 23:20 CLDT.

13 October 2010: At 21:56 CLDT the last of the 33 miners is brought to the surface.

14 October 2010: First three miners released from hospital.

15 October 2010: 28 more miners released from hospital, two remain for further treatment; dental and psychological follow-up.

16 October 2010: Mario Sepúlveda discharged from hospital after additional psychological tests.

19 October 2010: Víctor Zamora released from hospital after dental problems.

25 October 2010: Rescued miners honored at the presidential palace, met with President Sebastián Piñera, posed for pictures with the "Fénix 2" capsule and played a friendly game of football against a government team at the Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium.

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and First Lady Cecilia Morel were present during the rescue. Bolivian President Evo Morales was also scheduled to be there but did not arrive in time to see the rescue of the trapped Bolivian miner, Carlos Mamani. Morales visited Mamani at a hospital along with Piñera later in the day. A number of foreign leaders contacted Piñera to express solidarity and pass on congratulations to Chile while rescue efforts were underway. They included the Presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Poland, as well as the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland, (who also wrote personally to the Chilean president and the Clare-based designers and manufacturers of the rescue drill). Other foreign leaders including Mexican President Felipe Calderón and U.S. President Barack Obama praised the rescue efforts and passed on their hopes and prayers to the miners and their families. Pope Benedict XVI left a video message in Spanish praying for the success of the rescue operation.

After the successful rescue, Piñera gave a speech on location in which he praised Chile, saying that he was "proud to be the president of all Chileans." He invoked Chile's recently passed Bicentennial celebrations and said that the miners were rescued with "unity, hope and faith." He thanked Chávez and Morales, amongst others, for their calls of support and solidarity. He also said that those responsible for the collapse of the mine would be punished, and that there would be a "new deal" for the workers.

All but two of the men went home within 48 hours of their rescue, and by 19 October all had left the hospital.

Doctors felt the men had coped unexpectedly well physically with their time underground. Piñera even challenged the men to a friendly football game and invited them to visit to the presidential palace and to the opening of a transcontinental highway.

Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at the New York University Langone Medical Center, said that lack of sunlight could cause problems with muscles, bones and other organs. Jane Aubin, scientific director of the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, said the miners would have to be monitored closely: "They haven't been as physically active as you would want [them] to be, so they have undoubtedly experienced some muscle loss. ... Probably after that extended period of time, in both a confined space and in relative darkness, they've also probably experienced some bone loss."

Officials considered canceling plans for a Thanksgiving Mass for the men and their families at Camp Hope on 17 October over fears that a premature return to the site could be damaging. "It's not a good idea that they go back to the mine so soon", said psychologist Iturra. Dr. Jorge Díaz, head of the miners' medical team at Copiapó regional hospital, said: "We have a group of workers who are absolutely normal people, they weren't selected from a group of applicants to be astronauts, nor were they people who underwent rigorous tests, therefore we don't know when the post-traumatic stress syndrome can appear."

On Sunday, 17 October 2010, six of the 33 rescued miners attended a multi-denominational memorial Mass led by an evangelical pastor and a Roman Catholic priest at "Campamento Esperanza" (Camp Hope) where anxious relatives had awaited the men's return. Some of the rescuers who helped bring the miners to the surface also attended. Reporters and cameras mobbed the miners, prompting the police to intervene to protect them. Omar Reygadas' family was swarmed by the media after they left the service, and his 2-year-old great-granddaughter started crying when pushed by the crowd. As Reygadas picked her up, the cameras zoomed in. Reygadas stayed calm but offered his only answer in response to their questions: "I've had nightmares these days", Reygadas said from inside a small tent while reporters jockeyed for position, "but the worst nightmare is all of you."

Based on their experience, the miners plan to start a foundation to help in the field of mine safety. Yonni Barrios said: "We're thinking about creating a foundation to solve [safety] problems in the mining industry. With this, with the experience that we had had, God help us, we should be able to solve these problems." Juan Illanes told El Mercurio: "We have to decide how to direct our project so this type of thing never happens again. It needs to be done, but these things don't happen quickly".

On 24 October 2010, the miners attended a reception hosted by Piñera at the presidential palace in the capital, Santiago, and were awarded medals celebrating Chile's independence bicentennial. Outside, the men posed for photographs next to the Fénix rescue capsule that had winched them to the surface, now installed in the main square in Santiago. Afterwards, at the National Stadium, the freed miners played a football match against a team that included Piñera; Laurence Golborne, the mining minister; and Jaime Manalich, the health minister. Team "Esperanza" (Hope), led by Franklin Lobos, all wore the number "33", but lost 3-2 to the government team.

In November 2010, miners visited Los Angeles, appearing in a taping of CNN "Heroes." On 13 December 2010, 26 of the rescued miners, including Franklin Lobos, went on invitation to a Manchester United training session at Carrington, Greater Manchester in England. In February 2011, 31 of the 33 miners were hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism for an eight-day pilgrimage of Christian and Jewish holy sites.

Immediately following the San José mine collapse, Piñera dismissed top officials from the Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería de Chile (SERNAGEOMIN), Chile's mining regulatory agency and vowed to undertake a major overhaul of the department in light of the accident. In the days following the collapse, eighteen mines were shut down and a further 300 put under threat of possible closure.

On 25 October 2010, ahead of schedule, Piñera received a preliminary report by the Commission on Work Safety established in response to the incident. The report was a direct result of the Copiapó accident and contained 30 proposals ranging from improvements in hygiene to better coordination between local regulatory authorities. Although the commission had set 22 November 2010 as the date to deliver its final report, it reported that job safety inspections in Santiago and regions throughout Chile had allowed them to obtain a clear picture of the situation earlier than anticipated. In total, the commission held 204 hearings and reviewed 119 suggestions that came from online input. Throughout the incident, Piñera stressed that cost was of no object with regard to rescuing the miners. The operation was expensive with estimates surpassing US$20 million, excluding expenses in building, maintaining and securing "Campamento Esperanza" (Camp Hope). These costs exceed the total business debt of the mine's owner, the San Esteban Mining Company, which currently stands at around US$19 million. The state mining company Codelco contributed about 75% to rescue costs with private companies donating services worth more than US$5 million.

The French credit rating agency Coface declared that the dramatic mining rescue would have a positive impact on Chile's economic reputation. "It provides to international investors an image of a country where you can do safe [sic] business", Coface's UK managing director, Xavier Denecker, said. "It gives a good impression in terms of technology, solidarity and efficiency." Coface rates countries according to the probability of private sector companies being successful. Chile holds its highest rating in South America: A2. The UK, in comparison, is rated at A3.

Following the accident, a lawsuit was filed against the San Esteban Mining Company by relatives of those trapped, while a judge froze US$2 million of its assets. A lawyer for several of the miners' families described this as a refutation of the company's claims of "not having even enough money to pay salaries".

On 21 October, San Esteban Mining Company Operations Chief Carlos Pinilla and mine manager Pedro Simunovic issued a signed public statement insisting that no company official "had the slightest indication that a catastrophe could occur." Miner Jorge Gallardo asserted that there was no way the owners could have been unaware of the situation since he recorded everything and his daily safety reports were signed by Pinilla in person. Rescued miner Victor Zamora commented "What made me sad was that people were dying because the company did not want to have something safer and only thought about money".

Chilean writer and former miner Hernán Rivera Letelier wrote an article for the Spanish newspaper offering advice to the miners: "I hope that the avalanche of lights and cameras and flashes that is rushing towards you is a light one. It's true that you've survived a long season in hell, but, when all's said and done, it was a hell you knew. What's heading your way, now, comrades, is a hell that you have not experienced at all: the hell of the show, the alienating hell of TV sets. I've only got one thing to say to you, my friends: grab hold of your family. Don't let them go, don't let them out of your sight, don't waste them. Hold on to them as you hung on to the capsule that brought you out. It's the only way to survive this media deluge that's raining down on you."

The UK Daily Telegraph reported that the miners have hired an accountant to ensure that any income from their new celebrity status is fairly divided, including money from expected book and film deals. The men have agreed to "speak as one" when they discuss their experiences. While still trapped, they appointed one of their group as official biographer and another their poet.

The first TV documentary was aired by on the US Public Broadcasting System on 26 October 2010.

Podcast host Justin McElroy of advice podcast My Brother, My Brother, and Me often introduces live episodes of the podcast with a variation of "like the Chilean Miners we have reemerged in [name of city]", often to the cheers of the audience and amusement of his brothers.

British comedian James Acaster began his Represent comedy special with a joke about fake "celebrity gossip," where he spread funny yet clearly fake rumors about various miners, acting as if they were mainstream celebrities.

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has suggested turning Camp Hope into a memorial or museum in honor of the men.

The Fénix 2 capsule used in Operación San Lorenzo has been placed in the Plaza de la Constitución, in front of Chile's presidential palace in Santiago, Chile. Currently, one of the backup capsules is in Copiapó and the other was sent to China for display in Chile's exhibit at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Discussions are under way for a permanent display of the capsule and possibly a museum. As of December 2010, potential locations include Copiapó, the city closest to the accident site, and Talcahuano, 1,300 miles (2,100 km) to the south, where the capsules were built at a Chilean navy workshop. The Fénix 1 capsule was a featured display at the March 2011 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto, Ontario, where Laurence Golborne and the rescue team were honored. Since 3 August 2011, the Fénix 2 capsule is displayed at the Atacama Regional Museum in Copiapó.

While still trapped in the mine, the 33 miners chose to collectively contract with a single author to write an official history so that none of the 33 could individually profit from the experiences of others. The miners chose Héctor Tobar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer at the Los Angeles Times. Tobar had exclusive access to the miners and in October 2014 published an official account titled Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free. Tobar described the previous books published on the topic as "quick and dirty" with "almost no cooperation from the miners." These books include Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert (August 2011) by Marc Aronson; Buried Alive!: How 33 Miners Survived 69 Days Deep Under the Chilean Desert (2012) by Elaine Scott; 33 Men: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners (October 2011) by Jonathan Franklin.

A film titled The 33 based on the events of the disaster is directed by Patricia Riggen and written by Mikko Alanne and Jose Rivera. Mike Medavoy, producer of Apocalypse Now, worked with the miners, their families, and those involved to put the film together. The movie stars Antonio Banderas as Mario "Super Mario" Sepulveda, the public face of video reports sent from underground about the miners' conditions. The actual Sepulveda expressed his enthusiasm and approval towards Banderas playing the role. Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro also stars as Laurence Golborne, the Chilean Minister of Mining at the time. The film's plot mostly focuses on the disaster and its aftermath, during which rescue teams attempt to save the trapped miners over the course of three months. According to an interview with Patricia Riggen in 2015, the miners have never been compensated monetarily for their ordeal, and many of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

1. ^ "Chile's textbook mine rescue brings global respect". WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News. 13 October 2010.

2. Gopal Ethiraj (14 October 2004), ^ 69-day trapped Chilean miners being lifted one by one to safety Archived 16 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Asian Tribune, Hallstavik, Sweden.

3. ^ "Unions Say Mining Becoming More Dangerous in Chile" Latin American Herald Tribune, 9 August 2010

4. Brian McCullough (14 October 2010), ^ "Chesco company proud to help with Chilean miner rescue" Archived 1 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The Mercury, Pennsylvania.

5. ^ McMurtrie, Craig (24 August 2010). "Aussie drill expert called to Chile mine rescue". ABC News (Australia). Archived from the original on 25 August 2010.

6. ^ "Miners trapped in Chile mine for 17 days 'are alive'". BBC News. 22 August 2010. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010.

7. Jude Webber and John Paul Rathbone (15 October 2010), "Man in the News: Luis Urzúa", Financial Times, London,

8. Carroll, Rory; Jonathan Franklin (14 October 2010). "Chile miners: Rescued foreman Luis Urzúa's first interview". The Guardian (UK). London.

9. Nick Allen Chile miners rescue: profiles of the 33 men, London Daily Telegraph, 12 October 2010

10. ^ "Chile miners face four-month wait for rescue". MSNBC. Associated Press. 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010.

11. Kara Frantzich and Ricardo Pommer, ^ "Miners' Rescue In Chile: An Inspiring Note: We're OK, All 33", The Santiago Times. (subscription required)

12. ^ Franklin, Jonathan; Carroll, Rory (13 October 2010). "Chilean miners: 'We never lost faith. We knew we would be rescued'". The Guardian. London.

13. ^ Moffett, Matthew (28 August 2010). "Underground Dreams: Beer, Hugs and Weddings". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012.

14. ^ Canadian drillers content with losing race to reach Chilean miners - for the most part, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, 10 October 2010

15. ^ "'Phoenix' to pull Chilean miners out of the dark". Monsters and Critics. 11 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010.

16. ^ "Fénix 2 Rescue Capsule, side view, opened (Online Graphic)". ABC News. 14 September 2010.

17. ^ "Evacuation of Chile miners 'likely to start Wednesday'". BBC News. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 11 October 2010.

18. ^ "Chile escape mine shaft lining 'completed'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 11 October 2010. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010.

19. Frank Bajak and Vivian Sequera, with contributions from Michael Warren and Eva Vergara ^ Nearly half of the miners now free in Chile rescue Associated Press, 13 October 2010; Retrieved 16 October 2010

20. ^ "Trial lowering of rescue capsule is a success" Archived 28 July 2012 at Archive.today, The Columbus Dispatch, 12 October 2010; Retrieved 17 October 2010

21. ^ Adams, Guy (13 October 2010). "Misión cumplida: Chilean miners' ordeal comes to an end".

22. ^ "Rescuer reaches trapped men in Chile mine". Yahoo! News. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 16 October 2010.

23. Minuto a minuto: Mineros arriban al hospital de Copiapó y "Fénix II" reinicia labores (Spanish) Emol Chile, 13 October 2010

24. "Dramáticas historias tras el histórico rescate", El Mercurio, 15 October 2010 (Spanish)

25. Frank Bajak and Vivian Sequera ^ Dramatic endgame nears for trapped Chile miners, The Miami Herald, 11 October 2010

26. ^ By comparing his descent time with the times in the "Rescued miners" list

27. ^ Barrionuevo, Alexei; Romero, Simon (17 October 2010). "Rescued Miners' Secrecy Pact Erodes in Spotlight". Americas. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018.

28. Dominique Farrell (26 October 2010), "Chile's Commission On Work Safety Delivers Preliminary Report To President Sebastián Piñera", Santiago Times (English).

29. Aislinn Laing (15 October 2010), ^ "Chile miners will 'speak as one'", Daily Telegraph, London.

30. Martin Fletcher and Laura Dixon (22 October 2010), "Chilean miner Jose Ricardo Ojeda Vidal copyrights 'los 33'", The Australian.

31. ^ "Chilean mine rescue capsule to be on display in Toronto at upcoming Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention". Archived from the original on 12 March 2011.

32. John Williams (21 November 2014). "Book Review Podcast: 'Deep Down Dark'". The New York Times.

33. ^ "Antonio Banderas & More Join Chilean Miner Disaster Drama 'The 33'". FirstShowing.net. 20 May 2013.

34. ^ "Antonio Banderas To Play Chilean Miner, Mario Sepulveda, In "The 33"". Huffingtonpost.com. 20 May 2013.

35. ^ Riggen, Patricia (13 November 2015). "Indie Filmmaker Brings Story Of Chile's '33' Miners To The Big Screen". Morning Edition (Interview). Interviewed by Renee Montagne. National Public Radio. They are not doing well, Renee. They have PTSD. They didn't get compensated by the mine owners - nothing.

Interview to Jeff Hart after reaching out the miners on YouTube by Canal 13 UC de Chile. 9 October 2010.

Emergency Mine Rescue, NOVA Documentary, PBS, 53 minutes, 26 October 2010

Miners Deep Inside Chilean Mine, CBS News, 3 minutes, 27 August 2010

Rescue Timeline (Plans with Animations), CBS News, 4.5 minutes, 15 October 2010

Elation As Trapped Chile Miners Found Alive, Sky News, 1 minute, 23 August 2010

The page cannot be found. The page may have been removed, had its name changed, or is just temporarily unavailable.* First of 33 Chilean Miners Rescued, CBS News, 1 minute, 12 October 2010

Final Chilean Miner Rescued, Fox News, 7 minutes, 14 October 2010

Miners on the Mend After Rescue, Reuters News, 2 minutes, 14 October 2010

Chilean Miners: 17 Days Buried Alive, BBC, 1 hour, 12 August 2011

Sobreviviendo la minería en Chile, TeleSUR, 23 minutes, 13 October 2010 with subtitling in English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known then as the " Chilean mining accident", began on Thursday, 5 August 2010, with a cave-in at the San José copper-gold mine, located in the Atacama Desert 45 kilometers (28 mi) north of the regional capital of Copiapó, in northern Chile.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Organizational Culture?

Organizational culture is the set of underlying beliefs, values, principles, and ways of interacting within an organization. It defines and creates a unique environment to work in. Things like an organization's expectations, vision, philosophy, image, interactions within the office and outside of the office also define what the organization's culture is all about. Organizational culture defines what every employee's behavior should be and how they should interact with the rest of the organization. It defines how you feel about working for the organization. Some quotes that stress the importance of organizational culture are:

Many companies have said that they prioritize their culture because they truly believe it has an impact on their bottom line. Many companies spend a lot of time defining what they want their culture to be so that eventually they don't even need to call it culture, as it would be part of everyone's habits.

It is also referred to as corporate culture and it is shown in circumstances like how business is conducted, how the company treats the employees and customers, how the decisions are taken, how information flows through the hierarchy, how the employees perform towards goals, and many others. The company's productivity and results are directly related to the culture.

Types of Organizational Culture

There are four well known types of organizational culture: Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy, and Market. They range from internal to external when it comes to integrations and focus. They also range from an environment of stability and control to one of flexibility and discretion. A summary of these four types of culture is shown in this picture:

Clan - Doing Things Together

In this culture, people have a lot in common and it feels like you are part of a big family. The leaders are seen as mentors and/or as a father figure and this drives loyalty and high engagement from the employees. The main values are teamwork, communication, consensus, and development. They focus on mentoring, nurturing, but more importantly, everything is done together.

Adhocracy - Doing Things First

In this culture, employees are dynamic and creative. The have a culture that accepts risk taking and that encourages innovation. The way the organization bonds is by doing experiments and trying new things. They promote freedom and initiative from the employees as having new products or services defines the success of this company. The values to success in this culture are change, agility, transformation, and innovative outputs. The leaders must create an entrepreneurial and visionary setting for this to work as this company wants to be the first to go to market.

Market - Getting the Job Done

In this culture, results are the most important thing. Employees are encouraged to compete both internally and externally, to achieve results, to focus on the goals, and to get things done. Leaders in this setting must be both hard producers and rivals as they have to be tough and have high expectations from the employees. Often the goals are related to sales, profits, market penetration, stock value, as they reflect the performance of the company.

Hierarchy - Doing Things Right

In this culture, the common themes are control and structure. The principles and procedures are well defined and everything the employees do have to follow these procedures. The structure provided via rules and policies keep the organization running and leaders encourage this. Efficiencies and predictability are important in this setting. The values that are important for these types of companies are consistency, stability, uniformity, bureaucracy, and timeliness.

Organizational Culture Examples

An example of Hierarchy organizational culture is the military. The military is an organization that clearly articulates the power and responsibilities of its employees based on rank. Each level oversees those levels below and reports to the level above. An advantage of this type of culture is that the authority and responsibility of each employee is clearly defined for success. As the communication flows from top to bottom, everyone should be clear on what is expected. However, this often creates a bureaucratic behavior that can make the flow of information and the decision-making process a slow one.

General Electric is an example of Market organizational culture. They define success by having high return on assets and corporate competitiveness. The benefit is that they hire people that want to win. The goals are clear as they are often number based (stock, market share, profit %) and it makes the success criteria measurable. The downside of this is that if an employee is not motivated by a financial version of success, they can disconnect and not generate good results.

Why is Organizational Culture Important?

The culture within an organization is an extremely important driver of the organization's success and the employee's overall satisfaction. Nowadays, many employees decide which company they want to work with that provides them the right fit. It is no longer just about salaries or location, but about how they can feel about working for the company. Business leaders are responsible for designing and communicating the organizational culture they want for their company. The organization's culture is not static, it can be changed and adapted, and leadership plays a huge role in this. Once leadership communicates the vision of the company's culture, it is important that they lead by example. If the leadership is committed to this culture, the extrinsic and intrinsic compensations to employees are often linked to this. There will never be a one size fits all within this topic. It is hard to change or create the right culture, it must be addressed for success. The company must understand its current position and go from there. This image has some simple steps on how to start the journey. Good luck!

Quiz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Organizational Culture: Definition, Types, Examples | Business Terms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Organizational culture is the set of underlying beliefs, values, principles, and ways of interacting within an organization. It defines and creates a unique environment to work in. Things like an organization's expectations, vision, philosophy, image, interactions within the office and outside of the office also define what the organization's culture is all about.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transcript of "How to turn a group of strangers into a team"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript: Business school professor Amy Edmondson studies "teaming," where people come together quickly (and often temporarily) to solve new, urgent or unusual problems. Recalling stories of teamwork on the fly, such as the incredible rescue of 33 miners trapped half a mile underground in Chile in 2010, Edmondson shares the elements needed to turn a group of strangers into a quick-thinking team that can nimbly respond to challenges.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Clore Social leadership ALA presentation Mar20-1

# data[].attributes.body
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't your right

# data[].attributes.body
PRINT® is the next generation personal insights tool which unveils the core drivers behind our behavior. PRINT’s Unconscious Motivators® define why we behave the way we do, introduces what can Trigger us into unproductive ‘Shadow’ behavior, and teaches strategies to stay in our most productive ‘Best Self’.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PRINT® -The next generation development tool for unlocking personal and organisational success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Action learning is perhaps better explained visually. Take a look at our videos to watch interviews with action learning managing director Ruth Cook, some of our Action Learning Associates talking to participants of action learning sets, and see recordings of action learning sets taking place. Here you'll find past webinar recordings too.

Here is a selection of the Action Learning videos from our Youtube channel. We hope you enjoy!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Action learning sets - videos and interviews with participants and trainers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Action learning is perhaps better explained visually. Take a look at our videos to watch interviews with action learning managing director Ruth Cook, some of our Action Learning Associates talking to participants of action learning sets, and see recordings of action learning sets taking place. Here you'll find past webinar recordings too.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bill Gross - A Devotion to New Ideas - Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (podcast)

# data[].attributes.subject
Bill Gross - A Devotion to New Ideas - Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (podcast)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bill Gross - A Devotion to New Ideas by Stanford eCorner

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bill Gross thrives on turning innovative ideas into pioneering companies. He serves as founder and CEO of Idealab, which started over 75 companies since 1996. In this stimulating lecture, he shares how Idealab continues to bring incredible ideas to market, and his personal insights on starting and running successful organizations. Gross also describes the work of eSolar, a spin-off company of Idealab that works to make solar energy cost-competitive in the global marketplace.

--------------------
Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. At STVP, we empower aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.

CONNECT WITH US
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ECorner 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner 

LEARN MORE
eCorner Website: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/
STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/

Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University's network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/give.

# data[].attributes.headline
15 signs you have emotional intelligence - World Economic Forum

# data[].attributes.subject
15 signs you have emotional intelligence - World Economic Forum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dr Travis Bradberry looks at the qualities shared by people with emotional intelligence, based on data from more than a million people.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are - TED Talk

# data[].attributes.subject
How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are - TED Talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Your body language may shape who you are

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(NOTE: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility. Read “Corrections & Updates” below for more details as well as Amy Cuddy’s response.) Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can boost feelings of confidence, and might have an impact on our chances for success.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Planning for a number of possible business futures is one thing, but strategic foresight puts you in a position to actually create the future rather than react to it
History is littered with big organisations that didn"t see it coming. The future, that is.

Global computing powerhouse IBM was blindsided by the popularity of desktop PCs developed by innovative, nimble Apple. Philips was so late entering the home videotape market that its Video 2000 never caught up with JVC"s VHS or the Sony loser, Betamax. And investors who believed that HD-DVD would win out over Blu-Ray discovered that this was one rare battle Sony (supported by Disney) would actually win.

If "big guns" like these, with their deep pockets funding armies of futurists, strategists and "blue sky" thinkers, can"t foresee what"s around the corner, what are the chances for the rest of us? More to the point, with the speed and complexity at which change happens and affects all businesses these days, how can anyone anticipate what"s coming down the pipe next year, let alone in the next decade or two? Or even understand what future implications there might be for what"s happening now?

As has been widely reported, disrupter Airbnb is now the world"s largest accommodation provider while owning no properties. Yet CNN Money reported last October that "after a lot of thinking and work", Hilton"s CEO Christopher Nassetta doesn"t believe "strongly" that Airbnb is "a major threat to the core value proposition we have".

Which makes you wonder if they"ve heard of an approach known as "strategic foresight", or considered that one day the current provider of "staycations" might decide to move into the corporate travel business.

Having a say in how the future unfolds has nothing to do with peering into crystal balls or making predictions. Nor is it synonymous with forecasting. According to Patricia Lustig, Founder of international business consultancy LASA Development and author of Strategic Foresight: Learning from the Future, this approach "represents a range of tools and processes for gathering systematic, participatory intelligence. It"s the practice you use to engage with the future".

In that sense, it"s different from scenario planning. Two Oxford University futurists summed it up in a 2013 Harvard Business Review article entitled Living in the Futures: "At Shell and elsewhere, scenarios have helped leaders prepare for futures that might happen, rather than the future they would like to create."

Strategic foresight, however, allows you to do exactly that.
Future perfect
"Strategic foresight tools enable you to discover which potential futures are possible by looking at emerging trends that could have an impact, even disrupt, your business," explains Lustig. "These pockets of the future are already happening. When you"ve decided which of a range of possible futures you would prefer, you develop a plan for how you would handle each of those scenarios."

Then it"s a case of keeping your eyes peeled for early warning signs of which trends are bringing any of the various futures closer. Do this right and you"ll have strategically positioned yourself to influence, even co-create, the future you want - unlike "ostrich" Blackberry, which Lustig cites in her book as having completely overlooked the impact of the iPhone so that "by the time the company realised what had happened, events had overtaken it".

However, as Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert asserts in his book Stumbling on Happiness, human beings are poor at envisioning future events. Or, rather, at imagining futures far different from what we"ve experienced in the past or present.

"Most leaders engage in variations of strategic planning, which is rooted in history, the present and just a pinch of the future," suggests leadership coach and consultant Scott Yorkovich, whose paper Why Strategic Foresight? was published by the School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Regent University in Virginia. "This looks only a few months out and is often tied to semi-hard data such as booked sales orders, verbal commitments, and interpolation of demographic and historical trends," he says.

"True strategic foresight activity, which breaks from known realities and envisions a created future, is rare. Strategic planning is reactionary. Strategic foresight is anticipatory, active and creative. In defence of leaders who use traditional methods, current economic realities make it very difficult to justify large investments and massive strategic shifts in what is often perceived to be a dreamed-up future."

But, according to Lustig, it"s easier to make frequent small tweaks to your plans as new conditions unfold, than try and bring about the kind of large-scale change necessary when a totally unexpected scenario hits you in the face.
Opportunity knocks
However, strategic foresight isn"t just about anticipating potential unpleasant circumstances, according to Jay Ogilvy from strategic intelligence company Stratfor. Writing in Forbes, he says: "On the upside, scenarios can identify white space opportunities that remain unfulfilled until a first mover occupies the space that less imaginative competitors never knew existed."

This was the case with Austrian insurance company Erste Allgemeine Versicherung, which anticipated the fall of the Berlin Wall and ended up leading the market because of its first exposure in former Soviet Bloc countries.

The key is to not restrict your thinking to just one desired future but to generate at least three or four different scenarios so you can position yourself across a range of uncertainties, says William Miller, co-Founder of Values Centered Innovation and former Head of the Innovation Management programme at Stanford Research Institute. Miller"s organisation offers a similar approach to Lustig"s, but it"s known as scenario-based strategic planning and is used to guide corporate innovation.

He believes this approach can end arguments among team members who disagree about which uncontrollable situation is most likely to affect the business. Since any one of them could be right, that"s all the more reason to create a range of scenarios.

Miller agrees with Yorkovich that "scenario-based strategic planning moves you away from focusing only on numbers and into the innovation sphere". However, Miller recollects talking to the CEO of Sun Microsystems who, at that point, told him the company didn"t plan further than 18 months to two years out because its strategy was based on being very agile, with the ability to "turn on a dime as conditions change".

This points to the fact that for some businesses, ensuring they"ve developed a sufficiently nimble, reactive culture to meet trends head on is a more sensible approach.

Jason Romer, Managing Partner of offshore law firm Collas Crill, points to a recent situation in which HM Revenue & Customs delisted more than 300 Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPs) from Guernsey. By staying close to various political and industry associations, the firm was able to anticipate this legislative change - although it was surprised by the "ferociousness" of HMRC"s targeting of Guernsey.

While the concept of strategic foresight has challenged his thinking, Romer says he"s happy with the way his firm handles the kind of "legislative pressures forced upon us by the UK".

"I would be extremely daft to ignore [strategic foresight], but there"s the potential to get carried away and forget the here and now," he says. "The ability to be innovative in a law firm is directly related to the quality of the services you provide to clients. I believe it was Jack Welch who said that you can"t grow long term if you can"t eat short term."

On the other hand, risk expert Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan, thinks it"s beneficial to make big mistakes now and then and face the consequences. As he told the Airtel-Economic Times Global Business Summit in New Delhi, India in January: "Banks fail repeatedly because every time they crash, governments come to their rescue, not allowing them to learn and adapt from their mistakes. This is also what happens to companies that have strategic plans. They become "prisoners" to them. They don"t give themselves flexibility to tear up the plan and benefit from changes in the environment."

Proponents of strategic foresight say that"s exactly what you can do by embracing this discipline. It all depends on how quickly and easily you believe you can bounce back from disaster. Or are willing to watch the future pass you by.
Dr Liz Alexander is an author, educator, business strategist and Founder of business consultancy Leading Thought

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Planning for a number of possible business futures is one thing, but strategic foresight puts you in a position to actually create the future rather than react to it History is littered with big organisations that didn"t see it coming. The future, that is.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Think Small: The Surprisingly Simple Ways to Reach Big Goals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Carolyn Quinn looks at the psychology of leadership. Featuring Ming Campbell, Michael Howard, Deborah Meaden and Mark Steel.

Carolyn Quinn looks under the bonnet of leadership in this two-part series, from business to politics and sport.

What traits do you need to become a great leader? Is leadership 'in the blood' or can you train people to develop the right skills?

Ming Campbell and Michael Howard reflect on their time as political leaders. Both suffered perception problems during their time at the top, from jibes about their age and looks. Developing a thick skin, they say, is the key.

Dragon's Den investor Deborah Meaden describes herself as a 'born entrepreneur'. What does she think makes a good leader?

Plato began the study of leadership in 350 BC. Since then, academics have tried to distil the ingredients for the perfect leader, but still fail to agree. Some psychologists think that it boils down to having right personality traits, others that timing is essential.

Comedian Mark Steel studied great historical leaders for his series of lectures for TV and radio and found that many rose to the top by being at the right place at the right time. They were also far from perfect, and their personal lives were disastrous.

Today the leadership industry - from self-help books to management courses - is a multimillion pound industry promising to turn underperforming managers into great bosses. Carolyn visits the London Management Centre to see if they can make her into a great leader.

Producer: Michelle Martin

Featuring: Sir Menzies Campbell, Lord Howard of Lympne, Deborah Meaden, Mark Steel, Deborah Mattinson, Prof Alex Haslam (University of Exeter), Prof Adrian Furnham (University College London), Binna Kandola (Pearn Kandola).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BBC Radio 4 - Follow the Leader, Episode 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Carolyn Quinn looks at the psychology of leadership. Featuring Ming Campbell, Michael Howard, Deborah Meaden and Mark Steel. Carolyn Quinn looks under the bonnet of leadership in this two-part series, from business to politics and sport. What traits do you need to become a great leader?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Roselinde Torres: What it takes to be a great leader

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world is full of leadership programs, but the best way to learn how to lead might be right under your nose. In this clear, candid talk, Roselinde Torres describes 25 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future.

# data[].attributes.headline
Make Strategic Thinking part of your Job

# data[].attributes.subject
Make Strategic Thinking part of your Job

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's a common complaint among top executives: "I'm spending all my time managing trivial and tactical problems, and I don't have time to get to the big-picture stuff." And yet when I ask my executive clients, "If I cleared your calendar for an entire day to free you up to be 'more strategic,' what would you actually do?" most have no idea. I often get a shrug and a blank stare in response. Some people assume that thinking strategically is a function of thinking up "big thoughts" or reading scholarly research on business trends. Others assume that watching TED talks or lectures by futurists will help them think more strategically.

Strategy Planning and Execution Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning's online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Strategy Planning and Execution. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

How to develop a winning strategy-and put it to work.

Learn More & See All Courses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Job

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In addition to evaluating accomplishments in terms of meeting specific goals, for teams to be high-performing it is essential for them to understand their development as a team. Most of us are familiar with the concept of "the terrible twos" in early childhood; understanding that developmental stage makes it easier to accept the constant stream of "No No No No No" that we might hear from a two-year old.

Teams go through stages of development. The most commonly used framework for a team's stages of development was developed in the mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman. Although many authors have written variations and enhancements to Tuckman's work, his descriptions of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing provide a useful framework for looking at your own team.

Each stage of team development has its own recognizable feelings and behaviors; understanding why things are happening in certain ways on your team can be an important part of the self-evaluation process.

The four stages are a helpful framework for recognizing a team's behavioral patterns; they are most useful as a basis for team conversation, rather than boxing the team into a "diagnosis." And just as human development is not always linear (think of the five-year old child who reverts to thumb-sucking when a new sibling is born), team development is not always a linear process. Having a way to identify and understand causes for changes in the team behaviors can help the team maximize its process and its productivity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In addition to evaluating accomplishments in terms of meeting specific goals, for teams to be high-performing it is essential for them to understand their development as a team.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Please [contact us](https://www.ted.com/contact) and let us know what happened.

# data[].attributes.headline
High Performance Teams a Timeless Leadership Topic

# data[].attributes.subject
High Performance Teams a Timeless Leadership Topic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The value of a high-performing team has long been recognized. It's why savvy investors in start-ups often value the quality of the team and the interaction of the founding members more than the idea itself. It's why 90 percent of investors think the quality of the management team is the single most important nonfinancial factor when evaluating an IPO. And it's why there is a 1.9 times increased likelihood of having above-median financial performance when the top team is working together toward a common vision. "No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team," is the way Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn cofounder, sums it up. Basketball legend Michael Jordan slam dunks the same point: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

The topic's importance is not about to diminish as digital technology reshapes the notion of the workplace and how work gets done. On the contrary, the leadership role becomes increasingly demanding as more work is conducted remotely, traditional company boundaries become more porous, freelancers more commonplace, and partnerships more necessary. And while technology will solve a number of the resulting operational issues, technological capabilities soon become commoditized.

Building a team remains as tough as ever. Energetic, ambitious, and capable people are always a plus, but they often represent different functions, products, lines of business, or geographies and can vie for influence, resources, and promotion. Not surprisingly then, top-team performance is a timeless business preoccupation. (See sidebar "Cutting through the clutter of management advice," which lists top-team performance as one of the top ten business topics of the past 40 years, as discussed in our book, Leading Organizations: Ten Timeless Truths.)

Amid the myriad sources of advice on how to build a top team, here are some ideas around team composition and team dynamics that, in our experience, have long proved their worth.

Team composition

Team composition is the starting point. The team needs to be kept small-but not too small-and it's important that the structure of the organization doesn't dictate the team's membership. A small top team-fewer than six, say-is likely to result in poorer decisions because of a lack of diversity, and slower decision making because of a lack of bandwidth. A small team also hampers succession planning, as there are fewer people to choose from and arguably more internal competition. Research also suggests that the team's effectiveness starts to diminish if there are more than ten people on it. Sub-teams start to form, encouraging divisive behavior. Although a congenial, "here for the team" face is presented in team meetings, outside of them there will likely be much maneuvering. Bigger teams also undermine ownership of group decisions, as there isn't time for everyone to be heard.

Stay current on your favorite topics

Beyond team size, CEOs should consider what complementary skills and attitudes each team member brings to the table. Do they recognize the improvement opportunities? Do they feel accountable for the entire company's success, not just their own business area? Do they have the energy to persevere if the going gets tough? Are they good role models? When CEOs ask these questions, they often realize how they've allowed themselves to be held hostage by individual stars who aren't team players, how they've become overly inclusive to avoid conflict, or how they've been saddled with team members who once were good enough but now don't make the grade. Slighting some senior executives who aren't selected may be unavoidable if the goal is better, faster decisions, executed with commitment.

Of course, large organizations often can't limit the top team to just ten or fewer members. There is too much complexity to manage and too much work to be done. The CEO of a global insurance company found himself with 18 direct reports spread around the globe who, on their videoconference meetings, could rarely discuss any single subject for more than 30 minutes because of the size of the agenda. He therefore formed three top teams, one that focused on strategy and the long-term health of the company, another that handled shorter-term performance and operational issues, and a third that tended to a number of governance, policy, and people-related issues. Some executives, including the CEO, sat on each. Others were only on one. And some team members chosen weren't even direct reports but from the next level of management down, as the CEO recognized the importance of having the right expertise in the room, introducing new people with new ideas, and coaching the next generation of leaders.

Would you like to learn more about our Organization Practice?

Team dynamics

It's one thing to get the right team composition. But only when people start working together does the character of the team itself begin to be revealed, shaped by team dynamics that enable it to achieve either great things or, more commonly, mediocrity.

Consider the 1992 roster of the US men's Olympic basketball team, which had some of the greatest players in the history of the sport, among them Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Scottie Pippen. Merely bringing together these players didn't guarantee success. During their first month of practice, indeed, the "Dream Team" lost to a group of college players by eight points in a scrimmage. "We didn't know how to play with each other," Scottie Pippen said after the defeat. They adjusted, and the rest is history. The team not only won the 1992 Olympic gold but also dominated the competition, scoring over 100 points in every game.

What is it that makes the difference between a team of all stars and an all-star team? Over the past decade, we've asked more than 5,000 executives to think about their "peak experience" as a team member and to write down the word or words that describe that environment. The results are remarkably consistent and reveal three key dimensions of great teamwork. The first is alignment on direction, where there is a shared belief about what the company is striving toward and the role of the team in getting there. The second is high-quality interaction, characterized by trust, open communication, and a willingness to embrace conflict. The third is a strong sense of renewal, meaning an environment in which team members are energized because they feel they can take risks, innovate, learn from outside ideas, and achieve something that matters-often against the odds.

So the next question is, how can you re-create these same conditions in every top team?

Getting started

Leading Organizations: Ten Timeless Truths

Read more about the most challenging organizational issues leaders face, and practical steps to address them, in our new book.

The starting point is to gauge where the team stands on these three dimensions, typically through a combination of surveys and interviews with the team, those who report to it, and other relevant stakeholders. Such objectivity is critical because team members often fail to recognize the role they themselves might be playing in a dysfunctional team.

While some teams have more work to do than others, most will benefit from a program that purposefully mixes offsite workshops with on-the-job practice. Offsite workshops typically take place over two or more days. They build the team first by doing real work together and making important business decisions, then taking the time to reflect on team dynamics.

The choice of which problems to tackle is important. One of the most common complaints voiced by members of low-performing teams is that too much time is spent in meetings. In our experience, however, the real issue is not the time but the content of meetings. Top-team meetings should address only those topics that need the team's collective, cross-boundary expertise, such as corporate strategy, enterprise-resource allocation, or how to capture synergies across business units. They need to steer clear of anything that can be handled by individual businesses or functions, not only to use the top team's time well but to foster a sense of purpose too.

The reflective sessions concentrate not on the business problem per se, but on how the team worked together to address it. For example, did team members feel aligned on what they were trying to achieve? Did they feel excited about the conclusions reached? If not, why? Did they feel as if they brought out the best in one another? Trust deepens regardless of the answers. It is the openness that matters. Team members often become aware of the unintended consequences of their behavior. And appreciation builds of each team member's value to the team, and of how diversity of opinion need not end in conflict. Rather, it can lead to better decisions.

Many teams benefit from having an impartial observer in their initial sessions to help identify and improve team dynamics. An observer can, for example, point out when discussion in the working session strays into low-value territory. We've seen top teams spend more time deciding what should be served for breakfast at an upcoming conference than the real substance of the agenda (see sidebar "The 'bike-shed effect,' a common pitfall for team effectiveness"). One CEO, speaking for five times longer than other team members, was shocked to be told he was blocking discussion. And one team of nine that professed to being aligned with the company's top 3 priorities listed no fewer than 15 between them when challenged to write them down.

Back in the office

Periodic offsite sessions will not permanently reset a team's dynamics. Rather, they help build the mind-sets and habits that team members need to first observe then to regulate their behavior when back in the office. Committing to a handful of practices can help. For example, one Latin American mining company we know agreed to the following:

A "yellow card," which everyone carried and which could be produced to safely call out one another on unproductive behavior and provide constructive feedback, for example, if someone was putting the needs of his or her business unit over those of the company, or if dialogue was being shut down. Some team members feared the system would become annoying, but soon recognized its power to check unhelpful behavior.

An electronic polling system during discussions to gauge the pulse of the room efficiently (or, as one team member put it, "to let us all speak at once"), and to avoid group thinking. It also proved useful in halting overly detailed conversations and refocusing the group on the decision at hand.

A rule that no more than three PowerPoint slides could be shared in the room so as to maximize discussion time. (Brief pre-reads were permitted.)

After a few months of consciously practicing the new behavior in the workplace, a team typically reconvenes offsite to hold another round of work and reflection sessions. The format and content will differ depending on progress made. For example, one North American industrial company that felt it was lacking a sense of renewal convened its second offsite in Silicon Valley, where the team immersed itself in learning about innovation from start-ups and other cutting-edge companies. How frequently these offsites are needed will differ from team to team. But over time, the new behavior will take root, and team members will become aware of team dynamics in their everyday work and address them as required.

In our experience, those who make a concerted effort to build a high-performing team can do so well within a year, even when starting from a low base. The initial assessment of team dynamics at an Australian bank revealed that team members had resorted to avoiding one another as much as possible to avoid confrontation, though unsurprisingly the consequences of the unspoken friction were highly visible. Other employees perceived team members as insecure, sometimes even encouraging a view that their division was under siege. Nine months later, team dynamics were unrecognizable. "We've come light years in a matter of months. I can't imaging going back to the way things were," was the CEO's verdict. The biggest difference? "We now speak with one voice."

Stay current on your favorite topics

Hard as you might try at the outset to compose the best team with the right mix of skills and attitudes, creating an environment in which the team can excel will likely mean changes in composition as the dynamics of the team develop. CEOs and other senior executives may find that some of those they felt were sure bets at the beginning are those who have to go. Other less certain candidates might blossom during the journey.

There is no avoiding the time and energy required to build a high-performing team. Yet our research suggests that executives are five times more productive when working in one than they are in an average one. CEOs and other senior executives should feel reassured, therefore, that the investment will be worth the effort. The business case for building a dream team is strong, and the techniques for building one proven.

About the author(s)

Scott Keller is a senior partner in McKinsey's Southern California office, and Mary Meaney is a senior partner in the Paris office.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
High-performing teams: A timeless leadership topic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The value of a high-performing team has long been recognized. It's why savvy investors in start-ups often value the quality of the team and the interaction of the founding members more than the idea itself. It's why 90 percent of investors think the quality of the management team is the single most important nonfinancial factor when evaluating an IPO.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With the passing of Nelson Mandela in late 2013, the world celebrated a remarkable life. But the spotlight on Mandela's accomplishments relegated to the shadows much of the reason that he has had such a lasting impact, in South Africa and beyond. Above all, Mandela embodied a system leader, someone able to bring forth collective leadership. In countless ways, large and small, he undertook interventions aimed at bringing together the remnants of a divided country to face their common challenges collectively and build a new nation.

In the four delicate years between Mandela's release from prison in 1990 and the first open election, he supported a scenario process that brought together the formerly banned black political parties to work through their alternative visions for the future of South Africa. Exploring their different ideologies and their implications openly and together resulted in the moderating of potentially divisive differences that could have ripped the nation apart, such as whether or not to nationalize critical industries. ¹

Perhaps the most transcendent example of Mandela as a system leader was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a radical innovation in the emotional healing of the country that brought black and white South Africans together to confront the past and join in shaping the future. The simple idea that you could bring together those who had suffered profound losses with those whose actions led to those losses, to face one another, tell their truths, forgive, and move on, was not only a profound gesture of civilization but also a cauldron for creating collective leadership. Indeed, the process would have been impossible without the leadership of people like Bishop Desmond Tutu and former President F. W. de Klerk.

Even more, the process invited the thousands who participated to step forward in co-creating a new reality for South Africa-and, in so doing, to embody an ancient understanding of leadership; the Indo-European root of "to lead," leith, literally means to step across a threshold-and to let go of whatever might limit stepping forward.

At no time in history have we needed such system leaders more. We face a host of systemic challenges beyond the reach of existing institutions and their hierarchical authority structures. Problems like climate change, destruction of ecosystems, growing scarcity of water, youth unemployment, and embedded poverty and inequity require unprecedented collaboration among different organizations, sectors, and even countries. Sensing this need, countless collaborative initiatives have arisen in the past decade-locally, regionally, and even globally. Yet more often than not they have floundered-in part because they failed to foster collective leadership within and across the collaborating organizations.

The purpose of this article is to share what we are learning about the system leaders needed to foster collective leadership. We hope to demystify what it means to be a system leader and to continue to grow as one. It is easy when we talk about exemplars like Mandela to reinforce a belief that these are special people, somehow walking on a higher plane than the rest of us. But we have had the honor to work with many "Mandelas," and this experience has convinced us that they share core capabilities and that these can be developed. Although formal position and authority matter, we have watched people contribute as system leaders from many positions. As Ronald Heifetz has shown in his work on adaptive leadership, ² these leaders shift the conditions through which others-especially those who have a problem-can learn collectively to make progress against it. Most of all, we have learned by watching the personal development of system leaders. This is not easy work, and those who progress have a particular commitment to their own learning and growth. Understanding the "gateways" through which they pass clarifies this commitment and why this is not the mysterious domain of a chosen few.

Today, many of us are "swimming in the same river"-trying to cultivate collective leadership in diverse settings around the world even while our larger cultural contexts remain firmly anchored to the myth of the heroic individual leader. This search for a new type of leadership creates a real possibility to accelerate joint learning about system leaders. For undoubtedly we are at the beginning of the beginning in learning how to catalyze and guide systemic change at a scale commensurate with the scale of problems we face, and all of us see but dimly.

Core Capabilities of System Leaders

Though they differ widely in personality and style, genuine system leaders have a remarkably similar impact . Over time, their profound commitment to the health of the whole radiates to nurture similar commitment in others. Their ability to see reality through the eyes of people very different from themselves encourages others to be more open as well. They build relationships based on deep listening, and networks of trust and collaboration start to flourish. They are so convinced that something can be done that they do not wait for a fully developed plan, thereby freeing others to step ahead and learn by doing. Indeed, one of their greatest contributions can come from the strength of their ignorance, which gives them permission to ask obvious questions and to embody an openness and commitment to their own ongoing learning and growth that eventually infuse larger change efforts.

As these system leaders emerge, situations previously suffering from polarization and inertia become more open, and what were previously seen as intractable problems become perceived as opportunities for innovation. Short-term reactive problem solving becomes more balanced with long-term value creation. And organizational self-interest becomes re-contextualized, as people discover that their and their organization's success depends on creating well-being within the larger systems of which they are a part.

There are three core capabilities that system leaders develop in order to foster collective leadership. The first is the ability to see the larger system. In any complex setting, people typically focus their attention on the parts of the system most visible from their own vantage point. This usually results in arguments about who has the right perspective on the problem. Helping people see the larger system is essential to building a shared understanding of complex problems. This understanding enables collaborating organizations to jointly develop solutions not evident to any of them individually and to work together for the health of the whole system rather than just pursue symptomatic fixes to individual pieces.

The second capability involves fostering reflection and more generative conversations. Reflection means thinking about our thinking, holding up the mirror to see the taken-for-granted assumptions we carry into any conversation and appreciating how our mental models may limit us. Deep, shared reflection is a critical step in enabling groups of organizations and individuals to actually "hear" a point of view different from their own, and to appreciate emotionally as well as cognitively each other's reality. This is an essential doorway for building trust where distrust had prevailed and for fostering collective creativity.

The third capability centers on shifting the collective focus from reactive problem solving to co-creating the future. Change often starts with conditions that are undesirable, but artful system leaders help people move beyond just reacting to these problems to building positive visions for the future. This typically happens gradually as leaders help people articulate their deeper aspirations and build confidence based on tangible accomplishments achieved together. This shift involves not just building inspiring visions but facing difficult truths about the present reality and learning how to use the tension between vision and reality to inspire truly new approaches.

Much has been written about these leadership capabilities in the organizational learning literature and the tools that support their development. ³ But much of this work is still relatively unknown or known only superficially to those engaged in collaborative systemic change efforts.

Gateways to Becoming a System Leader

Many years ago, a mentor of ours, William O'Brien, past CEO of Hanover Insurance Companies, posed an important question, "Many business leaders espouse ideals like vision, purposefulness, and growing people to grow results. If these aims are so widely shared, then why are such organizations so rare?" O'Brien's answer was simple, "I think it is because very few people appreciate the nature of the commitment needed to build such an enterprise." We believe this insight also applies to budding system leaders seeking to help build collaborative networks for systemic change.

Watching people grow as system leaders has shown us repeatedly the depth of commitment it requires and clarified the particular gateways through which budding system leaders begin their developmental journeys. These gateways do not define the whole of those journeys, but they do determine whether or not they ever commence. Those unwilling to pass through them may say all the right things about system leadership, but they are unlikely to make much progress in embodying their aspirations.

Re-directing attention: seeing that problems "out there" are "in here" also-and how the two are connected | Continuing to do what we are currently doing but doing it harder or smarter is not likely to produce very different outcomes. Real change starts with recognizing that we are part of the systems we seek to change. The fear and distrust we seek to remedy also exist within us-as do the anger, sorrow, doubt, and frustration. Our actions will not become more effective until we shift the nature of the awareness and thinking behind the actions.

Roca, Inc., is a community youth development organization founded in the Boston area in 1988. Roca works with youths whom, by and large, no one else will work with. Many of the organization's staff are former gang members who now work on the streets to help current gang members redirect their lives. ⁴ In 2013, 89 percent of the high-risk youth in Roca's program for parolees and ex-convicts had no new arrests, 95 percent had no new technical violations, and 69 percent remained employed. On the strength of these outcomes, in 2013 Massachusetts entered into a $27 million social impact bond with Roca, whereby Roca will be paid to keep at-risk youth out of prison, receiving remuneration directly in proportion to the positive outcomes they achieve. ⁵

Critical to Roca's success has been its ability to build transformative relationships with the young people it works with. It does this by what it calls "relentless" outreach and relationship building. "Our first job is simply to 'show up' for kids," says founder and CEO Molly Baldwin. "The truth is that many have never had someone they could count on consistently in their lives."

Showing up for young people means using processes like " peacekeeping circles," a Native American practice that Roca has adapted and applied in diverse settings, from street conflicts to sentencing and parole circles. The practice begins by getting all the critical players in any situation into a circle and opening with each person saying a few words about his deepest intentions. The central idea behind the circle is that what affects the individual affects the community, and that both need to be healed together. ⁶ "We learn to listen to each other in a deep way in circles," says Roca youth worker Omar Ortez. "You see that a problem is not just one person's problem, it is all our problem."

Developing peacekeeping circles has not been easy, including for Baldwin herself. At Roca's first circle training 15 years ago, "Forty people came-young people, police and probation officers, community members, and friends," recalls Baldwin. "Halfway through the opening session, everything blew up. People were screaming, the kids were swearing, everyone was saying, 'See! This is never going to work!' Watching the session break down was wrenching, but eventually I understood how committed I was to divisiveness and not unity, how far I was from being a peacemaker. I understood on a visceral level the problems with 'us and them' thinking, and how I perpetuated that, personally and for the organization. Continuing to insist, 'I'm right, you're wrong! The issue is you, not us, because we hold the moral high ground!' was a big source of what was limiting our ability to truly help people and situations."

In their book Leading from the Emerging Future, Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer describe three "openings" needed to transform systems: opening the mind (to challenge our assumptions), opening the heart (to be vulnerable and to truly hear one another), and opening the will (to let go of pre-set goals and agendas and see what is really needed and possible). These three openings match the blind spots of most change efforts, which are often based on rigid assumptions and agendas and fail to see that transforming systems is ultimately about transforming relationships among people who shape those systems. Many otherwise well-intentioned change efforts fail because their leaders are unable or unwilling to embrace this simple truth. Baldwin's development as a system leader started with her willingness to face her own biases and shortcomings (and how these shortcomings limited Roca's effectiveness in their work) and her openness to gradually setting a tone for the whole organization.

Today, this willingness to open the mind, heart, and will has extended far beyond the four walls of Roca as the organization has evolved into a critical interface between gangs, police, courts, parole boards, schools, and social service agencies. Indeed, many of Roca's important allies are the police departments in the communities it serves. It has been a long journey for former social activists who often saw the cops as the enemy.

Re-orienting strategy: creating the space for change and enabling collective intelligence and wisdom to emerge | Ineffective leaders try to make change happen. System leaders focus on creating the conditions that can produce change and that can eventually cause change to be self-sustaining. As we continue to unpack the prerequisites to success in complex collaborative efforts, we appreciate more and more this subtle shift in strategic focus and the distinctive powers of those who learn how to create the space for change.

For Darcy Winslow, the journey to becoming a system leader began in 1998 when she was responsible for Nike's advanced research department and was reviewing a gas chromatograph toxicological analysis that showed, she says, "for the first time the chemicals embedded in one of our top running shoes. Our VP of product looked at the results-the known toxins embedded in our products and processes and the many chemicals that posed uncertain risks-and then surprised us, by asking what we thought he should do. We figured he was the head of this part of the business and would know. But after some time, we understood. The stuff that was in our products was there because of cost, function, and our design and material choices. The real question became, 'Who could-and should-lead in tackling this truly complex problem?'"

Over the ensuing weeks and months came an epiphany for Winslow. "Nike creates products," she says. "Our first maxim is, 'It is in our nature to innovate.' The people we had to reach were the designers. While Nike had about 25,000 employees at that time, there were only about 300 designers. Five to 10 percent of our designers represented only 15 to 30 people. Suddenly, building an initial critical mass seemed far less daunting. So I went knocking on doors."

With the report in hand, Winslow simply showed the results to designers and asked what they thought. "You could tell within two minutes if the person was stirred up to do anything," says Winslow. "If they weren't, I moved on. If they were, I asked for a second meeting."

Soon Winslow was bringing together groups of engaged designers and others in related product creation functions, and a new network started to emerge. "If you tell a great designer something is impossible-like you cannot make a world-class running shoe without glues-they get very excited. It is the challenge that engages them." Within two years, about 400 designers and product managers convened for a two-day summit where leading sustainability experts and senior management explored together the concept of design for sustainability. A movement was born within Nike.

Today, Nike's efforts have spurred collective leadership throughout the sports apparel industry on waste, toxicity, water, and energy. For example, the Joint Roadmap Towards Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, a joint initiative of Greenpeace, Nike, Puma, Adidas, New Balance, and others, aims to systematically identify major toxins and achieve zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in the entirety of the sport apparel manufacturing industry worldwide, starting in China. ⁷ (Winslow left Nike in 2008 and is now managing director of the Academy for Systemic Change.)

We are all on a steep learning curve in understanding this gateway of creating space for change, but it seems to be crucial not only in initiating collaborative efforts but in what ultimately can arise from them. A few years ago, one of us co-authored an article describing five conditions for achieving progress at a large scale through a disciplined approach to collaboration called "collective impact." ⁸ Today as we research and observe effective collective impact initiatives, what stands out beyond the five conditions is the collective intelligence that emerges over time through a disciplined stakeholder engagement process-the nature of which could never have been predicted in advance.

Systemic change needs more than data and information; it needs real intelligence and wisdom. Jay Forrester, the founder of the system dynamics method that has shaped our approach to systems thinking, pointed out that complex non-linear systems exhibit "counterintuitive behavior." He illustrated this by citing the large number of government interventions that go awry through aiming at short-term improvement in measurable problem symptoms but ultimately worsening the underlying problems-like increased urban policing that leads to short-term reductions in crime rates but does nothing to alter the sources of embedded poverty and worsens long-term incarceration rates. ⁹ Another systems thinking pioneer, Russell Ackoff, characterized wisdom as the ability to distinguish the short-term from the long-term effects of an intervention. ¹⁰ The question is, How does the wisdom to transcend pressures for low-leverage symptomatic interventions arise in practice?

System leaders like Baldwin and Winslow understand that collective wisdom cannot be manufactured or built into a plan created in advance. And it is not likely to come from leaders who seek to "drive" their predetermined change agenda. Instead, system leaders work to create the space where people living with the problem can come together to tell the truth, think more deeply about what is really happening, explore options beyond popular thinking, and search for higher leverage changes through progressive cycles of action and reflection and learning over time. Knowing that there are no easy answers to truly complex problems, system leaders cultivate the conditions wherein collective wisdom emerges over time through a ripening process that gradually brings about new ways of thinking, acting, and being.

For those new to system leadership, creating space can seem passive or even weak. For them, strong leadership is all about executing a plan. Plans are, of course, always needed, but without openness people can miss what is emerging, like a sailor so committed to his initial course that he won't adjust to shifts in the wind. Even more to the point, the conscious acts of creating space, of engaging people in genuine questions, and of convening around a clear intention with no hidden agenda, creates a very different type of energy from that which arises from seeking to get people committed to your plan. When Winslow went to the designers, she went with basic data and a big question, "What do you think about this and what should we do?" Her success in building an extraordinary network of collaboration and shared commitment over 15 years, whose ripples are still spreading, started with this basic shift in strategy. System leaders understand that plans and space are the yang and yin of leadership. Both are needed. But what is needed even more is balance between the two.

Practice, practice, practice: all learning is doing, but the doing needed is inherently developmental | Bringing together diverse stakeholders with little history of collaboration, different mental models, and different and even apparently competing aims is a high-risk undertaking. Good intentions are not enough. You need skills. But skills come only from practice. Everybody wants tools for systemic change. But too few are prepared to use the tools with the regularity and discipline needed to build their own and others' capabilities.

This is why system leaders like Baldwin and Winslow never stop practicing how to help people see the larger systems obscured by established mental models, how to foster different conversations that gradually build genuine engagement and trust, and how to sense emerging possibilities and help shift the collective focus from just reacting to problems to releasing collective creativity. The practice is internal and external, and it requires discipline.

Fortunately, a rich set of tools has emerged from diverse fields over the past few decades for developing these core system leadership capabilities. The tools that matter have two functions: they produce practical benefits and they affect how people think and see the world. As the inventor Buckminster Fuller said, "If you want to change how a person thinks, give up. You cannot change how another thinks. Give them a tool the use of which will gradually cause them over time to think differently."

What follows are examples of a few of these tools and how they can be applied to develop each of the core leadership capacities.

Tools for seeing the larger system. Tools that help people see the larger system integrate the different mental models of multiple stakeholders to build a more comprehensive understanding. Often this starts with simple questions, like Winslow's "Do we know what is in our product?" For educators, it might be "What happens for the child when she or he is outside of school?" Systems mapping can be used to extend this inquiry by helping stakeholders build a visual picture of the relationship and interdependencies beyond the boundaries they normally assume.

For example, in an initiative focused on improving children's asthma outcomes in Dallas, a steering committee composed of doctors, hospital administrators, community agencies, insurance providers, the city health department, faith based organizations, built-environment executives, philanthropists, and public schools worked together to map out the system of children's health of which they were all a part. Leaders of the effort agreed up front that they needed all these different views of children's asthma in order to develop a full perspective. It was also clear, as the group engaged in initial dialogue, that each person's perspective on the causes of poor asthma outcomes, and the solutions to produce better outcomes, was different.

The systems map the group developed helped all involved to see the entire system better, and for each professional to see aspects affecting children's health that were less evident in their own work. Eventually, the group created what it called the "asthma wellness equation," which translated insights from the systems map into an illustration that knit together the science of asthma triggers, the practices of asthma management, and the leadership of families and community in creating support structures that promoted a sense of efficacy within asthmatic children themselves. (To see a copy of the illustration, go to www.ssireview.org.) This map especially helped clinical professionals to put in perspective the often-overlooked influence of family and community on asthma, not just clinical interventions. It also helped non-clinical actors, such as schools and public housing administrators, see more clearly how their actions linked to those within the medical community. ¹¹

Tools for fostering reflection and generative conversation. Tools that help foster reflection and generative conversation are aimed at enabling groups to slow down long enough to "try on" other people's viewpoints regarding a complex problem. These tools enable organizations and individuals to question, revise, and in many cases release their embedded assumptions. Examples include the peacekeeping circles used by Roca and the dialogue interviews conducted by Winslow.

Two other tools we have often seen used by system leaders are "peer shadowing" and "learning journeys." ¹² Both tools have been used to build the Sustainable Food Lab, a network of more than 70 of the world's largest food companies and global and local NGOs (half NGOs, half companies) working together to make "sustainable agriculture the mainstream system." Starting in 2004, with Oxfam, Unilever, and the Kellogg Foundation as initial conveners, a team of 30 senior managers from food businesses and social and environmental NGOs spent time in each others' organizations and traveled together to see aspects of the food system they had never seen. Corporate executives visited farmer co-ops and social activists saw the operations of multi-national food companies. "This almost never happens in our normal busy focus on tasks and results," says Andre van Heemstra, a member of the management board at Unilever and the founding Lab team. Gradually, as business and NGO partners got to understand one another better as people and as professionals, the cognitive dissonance between them became less, and the power of their differing views grew. "We do see the world very differently, and that is our greatest strength," said a corporate participant about a year into the process. Today the Lab has become a powerful incubator for collaborative projects, such as companies and NGOs learning together how to manage global supply chains for long-term reliability based on the health of farming communities and ecologies. Practices like Learning Journeys are regularly incorporated into projects and gatherings.

Embedded in tools like peacekeeping circles, dialogue interviews, peer shadowing, and learning journeys is a disciplined approach to observation and deeper conversations called the "Ladder of Inference. ¹³ System leaders committed to practicing with the ladder learn to pay better attention to how their often unconscious assumptions shape their perceptions, from what data they notice and do not notice to the conclusions they draw. The ladder also provides a reorientation path for shifting behavior, from asserting subjective assumptions as reality, to identifying what facts people actually have and the reasoning by which they interpret those facts. Winslow calls it "an essential tool for the deeper listening that builds networks of collaborating change leaders."

Tools for shifting from reacting to co-creating the future. Building the capacity to shift from reacting to co-creating is anchored in relentlessly asking two questions, What do we really want to create? and What exists today? This creative tension, the gap between vision and reality, generates energy, like a rubber band stretched between two poles. Helping themselves and others generate and sustain creative tension becomes one of the core practices of system leaders.

One approach embodying creative tension that we have seen help large, multi-stakeholder initiatives is the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Summit. An initiative begun in 2010 used an AI Summit to bring together police, grassroots advocates, courts, probation officers, state agencies, private agencies, education institutions, health care providers, and philanthropy to reform the New York state juvenile justice system. ¹⁴ At the outset, few thought it possible to get this group of 20 stakeholders to agree (one group was actually suing another). But no one had ever brought them together for real dialogue and to explore the visions they might share.

To start, people were encouraged to collectively imagine that "The rates of recidivism in New York state have become the lowest in the nation ... and the New York state juvenile justice system has become a model for other communities across the nation." Buoyed, almost miraculously, by collectively imagining the dimensions of this compelling future, the group eventually was able to agree on two goals they could work together on: improving public safety and effectively rehabilitating youths who were involved with the state justice system.

Within ten months, the group had turned those goals into a full-fledged reform plan. A year later, components of this reform plan were adopted by the governor, passed into legislation, and rolled out in communities across the state. Today, three years into the reforms, New York has 45 percent fewer youths in the custody of the state juvenile justice system, without any increase in crime. ¹⁵ Many of those initially involved cite the AI Summit as a seminal event that turned the tide from people holding on to past realities into a network of organizations and individuals excited about a more compelling future.

This example illustrates something we have seen again and again. The basic idea of shifting from problem solving to creating is not complicated, but the impact can be immense. "As managers, we are all good problem solvers," says Winslow. "But it is easy to get so caught up in reacting to what we don't want and completely fail to tap the heart and imagination of people's genuine caring for what they do want, and to use this energy to transcend the 'us versus them' mindset." We have also seen that nurturing the collective creative approach happens most reliably in concert with helping people see the larger system, fostering reflection, and having different quality conversations-each of which is also bolstered in the AI Summit.

Last, system leaders are ever mindful of the composition and character of groups practicing with learning tools like those above. Tools become truly developmental only in the hands of people open to their own development. But you can also have open groups who have little power to take action, just as you can have powerful groups with little openness. No group is perfect. This is why system leaders never stop working at the fine art of "getting the right people in the room."

Guides for Moving Along the Path

Clearly the path to becoming a system leader is not a simple journey. As in any daunting undertaking, it is useful to have a few simple guides to keep in mind.

Learning on the job | Growing as a system leader is a process that never ends, and to be successful it must be woven into the work itself. Although training and other episodic interventions can help, they are most useful when embedded in a work culture that fosters ongoing reflection and collaboration. Most organizations are consumed by the tasks at hand. Others spend large amounts of money on staff development with little return. The missing element is often a clear vision for how the work itself becomes developmental. This means employing models of change that weave together outcome, process, and human development-made operational via embedded developmental practices like Roca's peacekeeping circles or the Sustainable Food Lab's learning journeys.

Balancing advocacy and inquiry | All change requires passionate advocates. But advocates often become stuck in their own views and become ineffective in engaging others with different views. This is why effective system leaders continually cultivate their ability to listen and their willingness to inquire into views with which they do not agree. Leading with real inquiry is easy to say, but it constitutes a profound developmental journey for passionate advocates. As collaborative networks grow in sophistication, they learn how to institutionalize the balance of advocacy and inquiry. For example, the Sustainable Food Lab has a great many passionate advocates. Recognizing that passionate advocacy can put others on the defensive (even though they may agree with what is being advocated), the Lab's NGO-Business steering committee declared that all major meetings would be "no pitch zones," safe spaces for thinking together rather than a place where people come seeking to engage others in their own agendas.

Engaging people across boundaries | We are often most comfortable with those with whom we share a common history and views. But operating within our comfort zones will never lead to engaging the range of actors needed for systemic change-whether it is the police for Roca or the multinational food corporations for the NGO founders of the Sustainable Food Lab. Though always challenging, reaching across boundaries can have immense payoffs. "Innovation often only comes from seeing a system from different points of view," says Winslow.

Letting go | System leaders need to have a strategy, but the ones who are most effective learn to "follow the energy" and set aside their strategy when unexpected paths and opportunities emerge. In the Sustainable Food Lab there are many companies that have become leaders who had little prior commitment to sustainable agriculture until artful system leaders helped them see a bigger picture. In one case, an internal corporate advocate for "pro-poor" business practices had made little progress. When she talked to her vice president about the plight of the rural poor, he was sympathetic but responded that this was the work of charities, and she should reach out to their corporate foundation. A colleague pointed out her boss's deep concern about the long-term supply of important products and the implicit alignment with her concerns. When she showed the vice president how the company might be unable to source critical food products if it didn't invest in the well-being of farming communities, he said, "Why didn't you just tell me that if we don't do these things we won't have product on the shelf?" Today, the company is a global leader in sustainable food supply chain innovations. "Once I could let go of my advocacy for the poor," she says, "I discovered how to help my busy managers see the problem in a way they could get their hands around."

Building one's own toolkit | The variety of helpful tools and approaches available today is large and growing, and system leaders should be knowledgeable about what is available. In our work, tools we use regularly come from a variety of places, including a few mentioned here: the "five disciplines" approach to systems thinking and organizational learning, Theory U and Presencing, Appreciative Inquiry, Immunity to Change, Roca's peacekeeping circles, and the Change Labs and scenario planning of Reos Partners. ¹⁶ Recently, several of us have started a process of organizing these tools to provide an integrated tool kit for systemic change. ¹⁷ But it is important to remember that building a tool kit is more than just putting arrows in your quiver. It is about learning, over time, through disciplined practice, how to become an archer.

Working with other system leaders | Growing the capabilities to become a more effective system leader is hard work. It needs to happen in difficult settings and under pressure to deliver tangible results. It is naïve, even for the most accomplished system leader, to think that she can do it alone. We know of no examples where effective system leaders achieved broad scale success without partners. You need partners who share your aspirations and challenges and who help you face difficult changes while you also attend to your own ongoing personal development-balancing task time with time for reflection, action, and silence. You need to engage with colleagues who are at different stages in their own developmental journeys. And you need help letting the unexpected emerge amid urgency and time pressure. Connecting with others who are also engaged in this journey can help lighten the load and foster the patience needed when organizations or systems seem to be changing at a slower rate than you yourself are changing.

Dawn Awakening

We believe system leadership is critical for the times in which we now live, but the ideas behind it are actually quite old. About 2,500 years ago Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu eloquently expressed the idea of individuals who catalyze collective leadership:

The wicked leader is he whom the people despise.
The good leader is he whom the people revere.
The great leader is he of whom the people say, "We did it ourselves."

The real question today is, Is there any realistic hope that a sufficient number of skilled system leaders will emerge in time to help us face our daunting systemic challenges? We believe there are reasons for optimism. First, as the interconnected nature of core societal challenges becomes more evident, a growing number of people are trying to adopt a systemic orientation. Though we have not yet reached a critical mass of people capable of seeing that a systemic approach and collective leadership are two sides of the same coin, a foundation of practical know-how is being built.

Second, during the last thirty years there has been an extraordinary expansion in the tools to support system leaders, a few of which we have touched on in this article. We have observed numerous instances where the strategic use of the right tool, at the right time, and with the right spirit of openness, can shift by an order of magnitude the ability of stakeholders to create collective success. With the right shifts in attention, networks of collaboration commensurate with the complexity of the problems being addressed emerge, and previously intractable situations begin to unfreeze.

Last, there is a broad, though still largely unarticulated, hunger for processes of real change. This is undoubtedly why a person like Mandela strikes such a resonant chord. There is a widespread suspicion that the strategies being used to solve our most difficult problems are too superficial to get at the deeper sources of those problems. This can easily lead to a sense of fatalism-a quiet desperation that our social, biological, economic, and political systems will continue to drift toward chaos and dysfunction. But it can also cause people to be more open to seeking new paths. Compared to even a few years ago, we find that many today are exploring new approaches that move beyond the superficial to ignite and guide deeper change. Organizations and initiatives like those described in this article have succeeded because of a growing awareness that the inner and outer dimensions of change are connected. As our awakening continues, more and more system leaders who catalyze collective leadership will emerge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With the passing of Nelson Mandela in late 2013, the world celebrated a remarkable life. But the spotlight on Mandela's accomplishments relegated to the shadows much of the reason that he has had such a lasting impact, in South Africa and beyond. Above all, Mandela embodied a system leader, someone able to bring forth collective leadership.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The art of being yourself | Caroline McHugh | TEDxMiltonKeynesWomen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why you should define your fears instead of your goals | Tim Ferriss | TED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#45 - How I Built This - Simon Sinek Interviews

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Episode 1607: Systems Thinking for Personal Transformation and Social Change by The Permaculture Podcast

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My guest today is David Peter Stroh, author of System Thinking for Social Change from Chelsea Green Publishing.

During the conversation we talk about the importance of using systems thinking to reach long-term goals that transform ourselves and society. To accomplish this end we need to create a series of small successes, rather than quick fixes, that are in line with and build towards our larger vision. Along with this we look at the impact that we can have on positive outcomes by taking personal responsibility for ourselves and understand our individual role as part of the problem. We close with David sharing five ways in which human systems differ from natural systems which we should consider as permaculture practitioners.

Read more at:
http://www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/2016/episode-1607/

# data[].attributes.headline
Take a Look at Yourself in the Leadership Mirror

# data[].attributes.subject
Take a Look at Yourself in the Leadership Mirror

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership -- starting with a golden circle and the question: "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Wright brothers ...