Research Mapping Human Emotions Shows Strong Mind Body Connection

Photo: Bodily topography of basic (Upper) and nonbasic (Lower) emotions associated with words. The body maps show regions whose activation increased (warm colors) or decreased (cool colors) when feeling each emotion. (P < 0.05 FDR corrected; t > 1.94). The color bar indicates the t-statistic range. Love makes us warm all over, and now scientists are creating body maps to prove it. A team of scientists in Finland has used a topographical self-reported method to reveal the effects that different emotional states have on bodily sensations. Most basic emotions were associated with sensations of elevated activity in the upper chest area, likely corresponding to changes in breathing and heart rate (1). Research on behavioral and physiological responses to emotions could help in understanding mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. “Emotions coordinate our behavior and physiological states during survival-salient events and pleasurable interactions. About the Author Credits: WakingTimes.

Leadership and Motivation - John Adair Most would agree that good people are essential to business success. Yet many good people do not contribute as much as they could do because they lack that magic quality - motivation. So what makes the difference, and how is it relevant to you in your work? In his book 'Leadership and Motivation', John Adair looks at the factors that influence motivation in a business context and identifies some specific drivers in the context of Action-Centred Leadership. The Fifty - Fifty Rule Reviewing the evidence, Adair concludes that people are motivated half from within and half by the environment they work in, and particularly by the quality of leadership they experience. Motivating Others Adair identifies 8 key ways in which leaders influence others to feel motivated and therefore more engaged in their work: "It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to find ability in others is the true test" Elbert Hubbard

The "Sandwich Approach" Undermines Your Feedback - Roger Schwarz by Roger Schwarz | 10:00 AM April 19, 2013 Have you ever used the “sandwich approach” to give negative feedback to your direct reports? You sandwich the negative feedback between two pieces of positive feedback. It’s a common method, but the sandwich approach may be undermining both your feedback and your relationships with your direct reports. First, let’s look at why leaders use the sandwich approach and why it doesn’t work. In my work with leadership teams, the majority of leaders say they have used the sandwich approach to give negative feedback. They think it’s easier for people to hear and accept negative feedback when it comes with positive feedback. They assume the sandwich approach provides balanced feedback. They believe that giving positive feedback with negative feedback reduces discomfort and anxiety. Effective leaders are transparent about the strategies they use when working with others. Identify your strategy for the conversation.

Why we need to groom leaders who can handle ambiguity and complexity How do we typically select and train our leaders? They learn theories of leadership that often assume organizations are mostly stable, and that the environment and the people within them are predictable. Oh, yes, there is some attention paid to what to do in crisis, usually as a singular event, with an expectation to return to the norm. But the world today is highly unpredictable, and rapid and significant change is the norm. Scott Anthony, in an article in the Harvard Business Review Online , argues that we may be preparing leaders the wrong way. Part of the problem, Anthony says, is that we judge leaders by what they have done in the past, and they have a tendency to stick to what they do best and know, rather than venture into "white water" or unknown territory. The authors argue that the job of leadership during a sustained crisis is fraught with peril.