iB-LIEVE

How Do We Change?

2011-11-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

This question is a topic iBELIEVE focuses on everyday. That's why we were excited to receive an invitation to attend a conference at Yale University asking the same question. The conference is a combination of the country's top minds in medicine, psychology, law and philosophy.

The purpose of the conference is to examine how "human beings can act both habitually and reflectively, both automatically and in a controlled fashion. How can we harness these two components to increase well-being? How do we change maladaptive patterns of response? What enables us to choose better strategies for momentary regulation of emotion and action, and what enables us to sustain these changes over time? How do we break habits and act in accordance with our long-term goals?" These are exactly the types of issues we address in our educational programs and mental training sessions.

Stanford Psychologist James Gross kicked-off by eloquently discussing his modal model of emotion (Situation-Attention-Appraisal-Response). Regulating emotions is essential in long-term, sustainable change. This was a highlight for me as I referenced much of this work when I was a researcher at NIH. Another highlight was listening to esteemed philosopher Richard Holton speak with no formal presentation about finding space for an addict's self control. "Either addictive behavior is freely chosen, and addicts are free to resist and hence responsible. Or it is the result of a pathology, and they are not free to resist and hence not responsible." It was really cool to hear a philosopher discuss free will, self control and decision making.

Day 1 ended with Dr. Roy Baumeister who has published over 200 peer reviewed articles and 30 books on self-esteem, will-power, and ego. His most recent research results suggest that self-regulation (will-power) is in fact a limited resource.

We believe this conference is the beginning of something really great! Looking forward to Day 2

iBELIEVE Meets with Leaders at the University of Bridgeport

2011-09-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

It has been one week since iBELIEVE traveled down to the University of Bridgeport. Little did we know we would be transformed after working with such incredible student leaders. Over the course of the last four years, we have had memorable experiences while presenting our workshops and educational programs all across this country. This was one for the books. Working with the enthusiastic and intellectual student leaders was an absolute pleasure! We are hopeful for another opportunity to engage in purposeful pauses, intentional actions, and mindful reactions with the UB student leaders. Thanks for your critical thinking and engaged participation!

Jonathan Kroll is an educator at Emerson College in Boston and is currently pursuing his Ph.D.

iBELIEVE Works with QU Men’s Soccer

2011-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Most say that Sunday is a day of rest. It should be a day that is typically spent, mentally, physically, and emotionally as far away from work as possible. A day that should be reserved for ‘YOU’. Doing only what you are passionate about and. Doing what you want to do, when you want to and at the pace that you want to. It’s a day that should be filled with no thoughts of suits, ties, deadlines and emails. It’s a perfect day to settle in at home and spend time with loved ones.

So with the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the thoughts and hearts of everyone across the country, the start of the NFL season getting kicked off and the northeast air beginning to feel like fall, this past Sunday should have epitomized that Day of rest (and passions). Thankfully the iBELIEVE team does a great job of blurring the distinction between work and passion. We had the opportunity to work with the Quinnipiac Men's soccer team in Hamden, CT. So on Saturday night, 3 members of the team set our alarms for 5am to make the trek towards Connecticut to make some changes at QU. With 2 of the 3 members being QU alum and the third member (me) having attended school right around the corner at Sacred Heart University we were all excited about getting back to our roots.

After coming off 3 straight loses the QU soccer players seemed anxious to work on training the mental game. We spent 90 minutes clarifying the team's vision for this season and the future. This vision is not what they want to DO (we know and they know that what they want to do is win), we wanted to know what they want to BE as a collective group. We also spent time clarifying ideas of mental resiliency on and off the field. The group was fun to work with and seem to mesh very well together despite their diverse backgrounds. We look forward to the next training session in a few weeks.
In summary, the day was a success. As usual, the iBELIEVE team learned just as much as our participants in a day filled with purposeful pauses, intentional action, mindful reaction, house building, vision creating and attitude adjusting. We are thankful for the opportunity to work with these student-athletes and are inspired by their optimism.

To all those in favor of reserving Sunday for all that you are passionate about. I believe we did...
Until the next time, Stay believing!

Pete Athans is a strength and conditioning coach at West Point Military Academy and the director for Athletics programs for iBELIEVE. He received his masters degree in Sports Psychology from Boston University.

iBELIEVE Gives Keynote Address at A.L.E. Conference

2011-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

From Sunday, July 10 – Tuesday, July 12 the iBELIEVE Team traveled out west to Denver, CO. This trip marked the furthest iBELIEVE has been out west in the USA. The trip was also the first time iBELIEVE ever participated and presented at the Association of Leadership Educators (A.L.E.) conference. The iBELIEVE Team attended a number of research poster presentations, round-table discussions, leadership presentations, and networking opportunities throughout the entire conference. During Tuesday’s luncheon, iBELIEVE Team Members Dan McCaffrey, Jon Kroll, and Drew Chin gave the keynote presentation to educate attendees about iBELIEVE’s history, teaching methods, and upcoming programs. A number of valuable contacts were gained from the A.L.E. Conference and iBELIEVE looks forward to participate in future A.L.E. Conferences. A special thank you to Nicole Stedman, A.L.E. President, for introducing us to this wonderful organization.

iB-LIEVE Visits Nicaragua: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

2011-06-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Jon Kroll shares with us about his time in Nicaragua.

Six years ago, after graduating with my master’s degree, I created an opportunity to volunteer in Leon, Nicaragua. Needless to say, the six-month experience was transformative. Because of the impact it has had on my life, I have gone back every year since to provide leadership development programs. For each of the trips, I’ve developed and presented leadership development programs that aim at unearthing misconceptions about leadership and providing tools to enhance leadership capabilities.

For my most recent visit, I delivered programs that focused on the Three C’s – clarity, connection, and compassion. Although I was seen as the educator, there was plenty for me to learn. The most glaring lesson for me was that with great power comes great responsibility. ‘Great power’, in this instance is synonymous with ‘great privilege’. Out of the ten days spent in Leon, Chinandega, and Jinotega, eight of which were filled with leadership development programs. I had the opportunity to work with high school students, university students, educators, business professionals, and others who are interested and invested in creating positive change.

For context, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in this hemisphere. People live in abject poverty and in a systemic culture of corruption. Needless to say, there are scarce opportunities for experiencing leadership like we have in the USA. Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, nope. Youth sports programs, nada. Student Governance and extracurricular activities, absolutely not. In other words, practicing leadership, as youth, like we do in the United States of America is almost nonexistent in Nicaragua. It is for this reason that leadership programs like the ones I provided are so critical.

Because of the privilege I am accustomed to as an educated American, I have great responsibility. It is this privilege that encouraged me to share my knowledge. It was my responsibility to dig deep and find ways to share how cultural change (from that of corruption towards compassion) can happen through shifting our mental frames of leadership. A transformation of seeing Leadership, not as power, prestige, position, or the purse, but leadership centered on the person (who am I) and the purpose with which we lead. It is that transition that will lead to cultural transformation.

We had a chance to catch up with Jon and ask him some questions about his recent trip to Central America.

How do Nicaraguans students define leadership differently then the students you have worked with here in the US?
In Nicaragua, leadership is all about position, power, prestige, and the purse (money). Leadership is about getting what I want – it is about rising to the top and being the boss, at whatever costs. It is very self-centered. Leadership in Nicaragua is hand in hand with corruption.

Are local politician’s and other leaders attempting to establish these nonexistent programs?
At present, politicians and local leaders are not focusing on leadership development.

Do you have any future plans to continue your work down in Central America
Absolutely. I will continue to go to Nicaragua at least once a year, if not more often in the near future. My goal, is to create a master’s granting university in Nicaragua focusing on leadership and organizational development to continue this pursuit of shifting the culture of corruption to a culture of compassion. The young people in Nicaragua deeply desire this type of cultural change and I believe it can happen through a new leadership lens.

6 Degrees of Separation and Your Support Network

2011-05-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

When I was younger one lesson my father taught me that still resonates today was the concept of 6 Degrees of Separation. From April 7th - April 10th, I lived this concept during LeaderShape's Lead Retreat & 25th Anniversary in Chicago, IL. As I was welcomed into a room full of members of LeaderShape's community, I quickly found out that I was connected to so many within one degree of separation! As I thought more about this both during the retreat and post retreat, I came to the realization that:

A group of people coming together + united by a common purpose + guided by a shared vision = COMMUNITY at it's best.

The LeaderShape community is currently 40,000+ and will continue to grow with more participants graduating from LeaderShape Institutes/Catalyst programs and an increase of new cluster facilitators to assist the Lead Facilitators, and on-site coordinators in teaching the vision of LeaderShape: "A just, caring, and thriving world that leads with integrity, and has a healthy disregard for the impossible." What was so special about being apart of this historic moment for LeaderShape was being amongst people who not only believe in this vision, but have already experienced it from their own LeaderShape experiences.

While iBELIEVE continues to develop its community, it's empowering to know that an organization such as LeaderShape is not only doing similar work to help others reach their potential, but recognizes that iBELIEVE is doing this work too. As iBELIEVE continues to evolve, there is no doubt our organization's paths will continue run beside each other, cross at certain points, and even become intertwined in the near future.

In leadership it is important to remind ourselves that our ability to create positive change enhances as we utilize more of our networks. When we find allies whom are bettering this world with their contributions, it not only significantly shrinks the degrees of separation, but it also grows our networks of support.

As iBELIEVE continues to reach out, searching for others that are putting their passion(s) into action, will you be one to answer our call to help? Want to join our CommuniTEAM? We'll see you (with)in 6 degrees.

The Puzzle

2011-04-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

In this installment I want to give you a technique that I use to stay focused and motivated throughout a long training period. This is something that you can use during your training and season to help you stay on track working toward your individual and/or team goal. As we enter our pre season the air is filled with optimism and excitement and we all have a general idea of what we want to do personally and as a team but we rarely put down on paper the day to day things that will help us get there. This has led me to the “The Puzzle”. Think about putting together a really hard puzzle with a lot of pieces and of a picture with a lot of colors and shapes. That’s the type of puzzle we are putting together every season. But this puzzle is an everyday road map of your season starting from day 1 of training to the final game, match or race of the season. If done correctly the puzzle will put you and your team in the best position to achieve your goals.

Setting up The Puzzle: The way I set up my training periods of the 4.5 months before a marathon is by taking a calendar and literally writing out every run I have to do every day. Whether it’s a 20 mile run, a 12 mile Tempo or a day of rest, I put it down on paper and look at it every day so I know what I have to do and I can hold myself accountable to getting after it and getting it done. This can be applied to any sport. For example, Sunday- rest, Monday- hitting to the opposite field, Tuesday- glove side ground balls, Wednesday- turning 2 and BP, Thursday- Game vs. ___.

It is very important to be specific on the things that you want to work on from day to day. Don’t just write “Practice” because when you are done for the day you go back to the calendar and highlight the day if you accomplished that day’s task with purpose. And what I mean by purpose is that you set out that day to work on the thing that’s going to bring you and your team one step closer to the goal. It also helps to journal every day so you have personal feedback and reflection on how you are working. As the days go by you will be able to look at your calendar and see how you are progressing. So why is the calendar called the puzzle? Think of each day you complete with purpose as getting a piece to the puzzle. Then when it is time to put the puzzle together (tournament time) it will be clear what fits together and you will have all the pieces you need to achieve your goal. On the contrary, if you do not have all the pieces it becomes very difficult to put it together and there will be holes in it.

Here is a real example from my last 2 training logs for the Disney Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

Disney Marathon: Goal 3:10, 18 weeks of training, 92 scheduled work outs, 92 work outs made/highlighted, 678 total miles, 0 work outs missed, Goal Accomplished 3:09:34.

Boston Marathon: Goal 3:00, 18 weeks of training, 108 scheduled work outs, 91 work outs made/highlighted, 704 total miles, 17 work outs missed, Goal not realized 3:19:43.

I hope its clear how important each day is to the realization of your goals. So be consistent and commit to it one day, one step at a time and when the time comes to put your puzzle together you will have everything you need to achieve your goal.

Joe Villapiano. is an assistant football coach at Harvard University and the co-director for athletics programs for iBELIEVE. He received his masters degree in education from UCONN.

Character and Courage

2011-04-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

For centuries, the idea of courage has been regarded as the basis of character for all great men (and women). For this reason courage has been pondered by philosophers, researchers, psychologists and coaches since the beginning of recorded history. From Aristotle to former NFL coach Bill Parcells and the thousands in between, they have regarded this character trait to be superior to all others in defining a great player and person. They have tried to devise techniques to recognize courage and understand that it is a fleeting concept that comes out only when pushed to the extreme of our physical and mental tolerance.

Today, sport psychologists have defined Courage as the willingness to act despite the presence of fear in the pursuit of a worthy goal. It is important to recognize the “mean” or middle ground necessary for courageousness. An excess of courage would simply manifest itself through reckless actions and decisions. On the other hand, a lack of courage would manifest through cowardice actions. A courageous athlete would find him/herself somewhere in the middle of these 2 extremes.

Many would say that athletics is a great place for courage to be developed. While others would say that either you have it or you don’t. Lastly, some would explain athletics as a place for this virtuous character trait to be revealed. I believe the ladder to be the most appropriate description of courageousness within athletics. Athletics will allow the opportunity for an athlete to display both physical as well as psychological courage:

Physical courage- This is the type that we see every day when we turn on ESPN. It is the image of an athlete playing after sustaining a painful injury. It is the athlete that leaves every ounce of physical energy out on the field for the sake of something bigger than him/herself.

Psychological Courage- This type is much more subtle. This courage is what happens behind the cameras. It is waking up early before the competition day after day. It’s telling your friend and teammate that he/she is not pulling their weight or recognizing that you might be outmatched but continuing to compete and fight. It is pushing on in the face of insurmountable odds when everyone would understand if you gave up.

In both examples of courage what is expressed is a quality of selflessness that cannot be denied and that defines an athlete’s character on and off the field. Not only does it make a good athlete great, but it also makes a great friend, teammate, husband, wife, mother or father. Like many of the qualities explained in these weekly installments, courage, although very easily recognized on the field of play is just as necessary in the Field of life.

Be courageous & Stay believing.

Pete is a strength and conditioning coach at West Point Military Academy and the director for Athletics programs for iBELIEVE. He received his masters degree in Sports Psychology from Boston University.

Reflections on the ACPA Convention

2011-04-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

The ACPA Convention planning team asked us to Be More. Little did we know that this Convention was going to Be More! It was motivating, thought-provoking, and learning-filled. Typically, sessions tend to be hit or miss. This year, the sessions seemed to all be hits. Opportunities for both reflection and engagement were purposefully added to the schedule. And the Opening was tremendous! I left humbled knowingly being in the company fellow educators and eager to bring back new knowledge and ideas to campus. After several yeas of partnering, iBELIEVE is proud to call ACPA our professional association ‘home’.

Injuries, Self-Efficacy and the Circus

2011-04-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

As the season progresses, nagging injuries become a part of normal life. Daily visits to onsite physical trainers become all too familiar. Aside from the obvious on field collisions, sprints and nose dives, what else causes us to acquire injuries? Can the mental side of the game attribute to this? Does my confidence (self-efficacy) have an impact on acquiring sport injuries?

A study appearing in this April’s Journal of Sports Medicine, and covered recently in a NYTimes Health article, examined 47 elite competitors in gymnastics, trampoline, swimming and diving. All of which were trying to earn a spot on a Cirque du Soleil team. This team performs athletic dances, tumbles and contortions which requires elite physical abilities. The researchers wanted to determine if self-efficacy separated the injury prone from the impervious during an intensive 8-week training camp. Self-efficacy is the feeling of confidence a person has in performing a task. (NOTE: If I feel I am 100% capable of hitting the ball to the opposite field on a hit and run, I have high self-efficacy towards this task.)

Results from the study suggested that the athletes who had a low self-efficacy score were almost twice as likely to be injured when compared to those who had scored high on the self-efficacy measure. In this case, low athletic self-confidence increased injury. Researchers believed this could be attributed to attention, fear, and worry resulting in falling during the desired task and therefore causing an injury. These results suggest that effective performance enhancing interventions are necessary to build self-efficacy in all sports for every individual.

The Cirque du Soleil team psychologist suggests a solution for athletes with low self-efficacy, “Someone who thinks rightly or wrongly that he can’t complete a physical task should think small. Concentrate on the process, not the end result. Succeeding at a portion of the task will show you that you have the capacity to succeed at the rest.”

This is applicable to my marathon training. Instead of trying to complete a daunting 10-mile run, I attack 2 miles at a time. This helps me stay focused on what’s important (form, energy, rest stops) and allows me to build confidence while I succeed portion by portion/mile by mile. This also prevents me from being distracted by all the miles that lay ahead.

What are the parts of your game that you have high and low confidence or self-efficacy in? Can the low confidence part be broken down into smaller components, focused on in practice and built up over time? If so, this may be the key to a healthier season.

And Knowing is half the battle.

Peak Performance

2011-03-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

In this installment I will talk about factors that will help you achieve peak performance and some factors that may be preventing you from reaching peak performance. When talking about athletic peak performance you tend to think of athletes like Lebron James, Usain Bolt, Shawn White, Serena & Venus Williams. These athletes are considered the best at their sport. But anyone who plays or follows sports closely knows that peak performance is not limited to those who are at the top. Every sport has participants who achieve remarkable accomplishments while finishing behind the leaders. Likewise, every team has members who are invaluable to the success of the team but are not recognized as the star. Here are a couple strategies that can help you achieve peak performance in your sport and on your team.

• Have a positive pregame mindset before competition.

As an athlete sometimes we hold ourselves to very high expectations. For example, I have spoken to the Harvard baseball coach who has problems with one of his starting pitchers. He said the pitcher expects to throw a no hitter every time he steps onto the mound. So what happens when the pitcher gives up his first hit? The pitcher would get upset and frustrated that he gave up the no hitter and would feel that he had failed. The coach says it often takes him a couple innings to regain control of his emotions and get back into a rhythm. But by the time he regains control the damage has already been done.
What can we do as athletes to get ourselves into a positive mindset? The first step is becoming aware of our mindset and thoughts before we play. We have to identify these expectations and factors that may cause us to get upset during competition. To achieve peak performance you cannot let a minor setback ruin your whole performance. Throw out the idea of being a perfectionist! If you carry these high expectations into your competition you set yourself up for feeling like you are failing. This leaves yourself very little room for success.

• Let go of errors before emotions snowball out of control.

I was watching Phil Mickelson lead the final round of the 2010 Masters. He had trouble all week hitting the fairways off the tee. In the last round he again put a drive into the woods and had a very difficult recovery shot under the pressure of The Masters Championship gallery. He stepped up to his ball and hit a shot through the trees and onto the green. He then made the putt for birdie, kept the lead and eventually won the Green Jacket. The announcer who was following him went on to say that this is what separates Phil from all the other golfers in the world. When Phil hits a bad shot he regains control of his emotions and it allows him to focus on hitting a great next shot.
Having control of your emotions is when you stay even keeled and poised when you are challenged with adversity. Even top athletes like Phil and Tiger Woods get frustrated and upset when they make errors. But they are able to regain control quickly and get back on track. Recovering quickly from mistakes separates champion athletes from those who crack when adversity strikes.

Every athlete has the capability of achieving peak performance, not just the top athletes. I hope you can use these simple strategies and examples on your way to peak performance and success throughout this season.

Positive Thinking vs. Effective Thinking

2011-03-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

Up to this point in your athletic career you have excelled at your respective sports. You would not be playing at this level if you didn’t figure out a way to adapt to whatever the game throws at you, overcome the challenge in front of you and improvise to find a way to succeed. This week I want to speak specifically about how thinking effectively will increase your ability to ADAPT, IMPROVISE & OVERCOME!

Your ability to adapt is strongly related to your ability to think effectively. As Dan explained last week, our thoughts can be the difference between success and failure. We all know that thinking positively can have a major effect on how we perform. There are countless research articles documenting the benefits of a positive mindset. But let’s be real, things aren’t always positive. Things aren’t always great. You WILL be challenged and WILL face defeat. This is why we play our sports, to be challenged and to see what we are made of.

As an athlete, the last thing I want to hear after facing defeat is, “Everything is going to be okay”, while I am thinking to myself, “We just got our asses kicked!”. During the moment when we are challenged is when we need to transition from positive thinking to effective thinking. When we are thinking effectively our default mindset is ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE. An unshakeable belief that no matter what happens we will keep fighting to achieve what we set out to achieve. This mindset will keep you working and keep you and your team motivated. You have adapted the ability to deal with stress. It has come through the countless hours of training and competitions that you have undergone.

This type of resiliency will translate to all areas of your life. In sport and in life effective thinking involves a proactive approach to embracing reality - embracing what IS. Not simply searching for another “better” reality, one in which you don’t have to adapt to and overcome the challenges before us. WE should know that the more time that we spend disconnected from the challenges the more time we face not working towards our goal. This is particularly important in sport when success is a matter of inches and seconds. As your season progresses look the challenge right in the eye and adapt, improvise and overcome.

Until the next time, stay believing!

Mental Skills Training - Performance Inhibitors

2011-03-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

I believe that mental skills training can directly affect an athlete’s within-competition performance. When an athlete’s mental state is acting in a counterproductive manner, what’s known as performance inhibitors (anxiety, confidence, concentration and motivation) can creep up and lower performance. For me, it’s much like running into a strong headwind affecting my skills and coordination. Becoming aware of these performance inhibitors can enable you to control and minimize the negative affects of this headwind on your performance.

Think back to a previous game when your performance was optimal or near perfect. This may be the best you have ever performed. What led up to this performance? Was it a uniquely good week of practice and training? Take a few minutes and think about your performance this day.

Now think back to a previous game when your performance was far from optimal or near perfect. This may be the worst you have ever performed. What led up to this performance? Can you identify and mental performance inhibitors. Take a few minutes and think about your performance on this day.

Becoming aware of what was working for you and what performance inhibitors were present can help you make the necessary adjustments and perform closer to your optimal level. Detrimental thoughts, attitudes and beliefs can all affect an athlete’s ability to execute at the level that they are physically capable of. Developing strong mental skills has the ability to help athletes compete as close to 100% of their potential as possible.

Mental Training - Finding Strength From Within

2011-03-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

“Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strengths never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction.” William James

I'm writing this after a 22 mile run in preparation for the Boston Marathon, April 18, 2011. I chose this quote to share on the run today for a couple reasons. First, because I want to challenge everyone (myself included) to find this source of strength that lies beyond fatigue and second, because I want to talk about how our mind plays a huge role in getting there or not.

One of the most important lessons iBelieve teaches individuals and teams is that our thoughts and beliefs can help us achieve what we want. This is the basis for our company and we work with athletes and young professionals on how to choose empowering beliefs to help them reach their highest potential. On the flip side, our thoughts and beliefs can also limit us from reaching our highest potential. If we don’t think or believe we can fill in the black, we won’t. This is the obstruction William James is referring to and the reason some people don’t find that strength and power that lies beyond.

How can we push ourselves past the obstruction and tap into this source of strength? It starts with awareness. When you get fatigued, become aware of it and embrace it. Don’t do anything to distract yourself from it, “it is what it is”. As an athlete we need to perform under these circumstances and not be distracted. Next, there is NO limit. If you believe there is a limit then you are limiting yourself. If you think the sky is the limit, then you will only reach for the sky and you take away the potential of reaching higher. It’s that simple.

No matter what we are training in or for, lets continue to push ourselves to break through the obstruction and find that endless source of strength. I believe it’s out there for the ones willing to go beyond and find it. To learn more about iBelieve, and when we are visiting a team or organization near you visit us online at www.goibelieve.com

The iBELIEVE team works with Brown University

2011-02-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, a few members of the iBELIEVE team spoke at Brown University. The IB team loves to speak about iBELIEVE, inspire students and work with future leaders. So the Boston IB team hopped in a car and drove out to Providence, RI to meet with the Bears.

We believe that some of the brightest and best students are not leading on purpose. Leading on purpose requires a clear intention that results in action. Jon Kroll and Kevin Bickart led the discussion on iBELIEVE’s core components of intention: beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, feelings values, desires, and dreams.

We were so impressed by the energy and participation shown by the students at Brown. These student leaders seemed to really get what we were saying. By the end of the day, everyone had developed an actionable leadership vision and applicable skills and tools.

It’s days and partnerships like these that inspires and keeps the iBELIEVE team going and growing. We believe in these group of leaders from Brown University. Thanks Bears!

Check out pictures on facebook and learn more about our programs by visiting us online at www.goibelieve.com

e: dmccaffrey@goibelieve.com
t: @goibelieve & @demccaffrey

'Tis the Season for Believing

2010-12-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

Today I spoke with Carol at our college's laundry department. We went through the typical quick catchup talk, then I asked her what her grandchildren want for Christmas. She listed their wishes, but then spoke about how her granddaughter is now at the age of questioning how she receives her gifts at Christmas. We all know what she's talking about here.

She said her granddaughter sat down her mom & dad and asked, "Okay mom and dad I need to ask you something real serious. I want to know are you two Santa or is he real?"

They paused for a moment and then carefully replied, "It's what you choose to believe in." I smiled, walked away, wishing Carol a Merry Christmas and reflected on her daughter's advice to her granddaughter. This got me thinking about the BELIEVE messages this time of year, especially Macy's, "A Million Reasons to Believe."

For the 3rd year in a row, Macy's is doing its "Believe Campaign." This is based on the famous story now referred to as, "Yes Virginia" where an 8 year old girl named Virginia wrote a letter to the editor of The New York Sun asking, "Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?" The editor responded with a response in the paper with, "Yes Virigina, there is a Santa Claus." After reading both Virginia's original letter and The New York Sun's response I was so touched with the need to believe and the support to continue to believe, something I think the Christmas spirit is all about.

Macy's generating a million reasons to believe by asking everyone to, "Write a letter to Santa and help make wishes come true! Bring your stamped letter to Macy's and drop it into Santa's Mailbox. For ever letter received, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, up to $1,000,000. We'll then deliver them to the Post Office for mailing to Santa."

So why am I blogging about this? This time of year is the SEASON of belief. How could it not be? We hear about belief all around us. You see it in movies such as The Santa Clause (see 2:43-3:00 of the clip below), we hear it in songs like Josh Groban's "Believe," and we tell our children, grand children, nephews, and nieces to believe. Yes, we're telling children to believe in Santa and in doing so the magic of Santa. But I say what we're really teaching them is magic of belief. The root of the message is the power in believing in something so much that IT IS REAL and MAGICAL to you, even if only to you. However, if enough people believe in it too (perhaps a community of believers) imagine the magic that would come from that!? So why do we have to stop believing in Santa Claus? Heck, why do we have to stop believing at Santa Claus? Why do we lose belief or stop believing? After all we're the ones responsible for teaching this message to young ones, just as it was taught to us when we were young ones.

In 2:23 of the video clip above Judy the Elf talks to Scott Calvin about his disbelief. "That's not surprising, most grown-ups can't believe in magic. It just sort of grows out of them" she says. Is that it? Do we just grow out of our beliefs? Do we grow out of believing in magic and magical things that can happen? If this is the case it seems it is simply rather an elementary and an easy concept to grasp where our children should be teaching us because they do believe. Think about the tenacity they show when approaching a jungle gym and wanting to navigate it successfully. Or when babies learn to walk, they always seem to get up again after each fall. They believe they can do it. Surely, they believe to achieve!

A couple of weeks ago I remember I was talking to my friends Cody & Caroline and I said that's "unbelievable." They paused and called me out on it, asking me to question that word. I think they're as right as is Judy the Elf is. Have we grown out of believing (in things such as Santa Claus)? More importantly have we grown out of things we believe in to the point we use the word unbelievable without realization of what that even means?

So here's what I propose. Imagine what your life would look like if you held onto even just one of your beliefs. Think about how dramatically your spirit could change if you believe. If you practiced belief, would it cause a domino affect and help inspire others to believe too? And if we all believed together, think of the kind of magic that would emerge?

Well 'Tis the Season for Believing, but perhaps this is practice as we come to year 2011. If we believe in things with as much passion as children believe in Santa Claus we could make so much more progress and be a healthier, happier, society. So that's the challenge of this season and next year. Think of what you want to believe in, without doubt and without question. As I was reminded today in my talk with Carol, "It's what you choose to believe in." Make your choice and then believe in it with conviction and then put that belief into action! I love what it says below, but have adjusted it here, "And for those spirited ones, BELIEF will always exist."

If you would like to show you believe in the holiday spirit, use iB-LIEVE's Twibbon and make it either your FaceBook profile picture and/or Twitter profile picture like I have. It's easy, free, and adds a nice festive holiday touch to your profile picture =). We would love to see a number of our family & friends within the iB-LIEVE community showing their support for the spirit of belief that comes alive during this holiday season. Thanks for your support!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Drew Chin

~ Don't Stop Believing ~

Performance for the leader in you

2010-06-03T10:22:00.001-07:00

There is a maxim from Pubilius Syrus, a first century Syrian that shares, “Never promise more than you can perform.” Although this maxim was drafted over 2,000 years ago, it holds great wisdom and weight for us today. Leaders rise and fall by how well they understand and incorporate this idea into their lives.

Syrus, a slave, won his master’s favor by his wit and talent. One can assume he not only wrote messages-of-meaning, he lived them. Upon being freed, he served as a mime throughout Italy. He quickly gained notoriety and was invited to perform at events sponsored by Caesar, eventually winning a competition prize from Caesar himself. Although there must have been serious pressure to perform for these audiences, if he let on more than he could chew, he would have had a short-lived career. By being honest with what he could and could not do, he secured a successful career.

As leaders, we gain trust and strengthen our reputation when our spoken word matches our abilities. Knowing what we can accomplish and then following through on it is much better than reaching beyond our capabilities and falling short. By being honest with ourselves and with others about what can and cannot be performed we set ourselves up for leadership success.

In peace,

Jonathan Kroll

t: @jonathan_kroll

e: jkroll@goibelieve.com

fb: Jon Kroll

Jonathan is an educator at Emerson College in Boston preparing for his PhD in the fall.

Performance for the professional in you

2010-06-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. It’s a common term found in the armed forces and other government agencies. When a government agency announces a position (on www.usajobs.gov for example), they will post specific KSA’s required for the job. Part of the application process requires the applicant to write (in full detail) describing their experiences in each one of those areas. The KSA process is utilized to assess past work experiences so that they can predict performance trends and habits for future positions.

Although a highly effective process, the KSA application process is missing something critical. It’s the actual thing they are trying to bring about – conviction or rather, purpose driven performance. Without conviction in the equation; knowledge, skills, and abilities would be life-less and performance trends will continue as such. However, when the individual is driven by purpose, peak performance can both be achieved and attained.

After all, it’s in performance when our goals are put in motion. It is a chance for our actions to reflect our beliefs. As we continue to gain more knowledge, acquire more skills, and develop more abilities the more we are given the opportunity to perform. When performance is purpose driven, nothing will stand in the way of progress.

By Joe Lamendola

e: jlamendola@goibelieve.com

t: @joelamendola

fb: Joe Lamendola

Performance for the athlete in you

2010-06-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

In this blog I will talk about peak performance and some factors that will help you achieve peak performance and some factors that may be stopping you from reaching it. When talking about athletic peak performance you tend to think of the athletes like Lebron James, Shawn White or Diana Taurasi, the athletes that are considered the best at their sport. But anyone who plays sports or follows sports closely knows that peak performance is not limited to those who are at the top of their sport or win gold medals. Every sport has participants who achieve remarkable accomplishments while finishing behind the leaders. Here are a couple strategies that can help every athlete achieve peak performance.

Have a positive pregame mindset before competition.

As an athlete sometimes we hold ourselves to very high expectations. For example, I have spoken to the Harvard baseball coach who has problems with one of his starting pitchers. He said the pitcher expects to throw a no hitter every time he steps onto the mound. So what happens when the pitcher gives up his first hit? The pitcher would get upset and frustrated that he gave up the no hitter and he would feel that he had failed. The coach says it often takes him a couple innings to regain control of his emotions and get back into rhythm. But by the time he regains control it is too late and the damage has already been done.

We have to identify these expectations and factors that will cause us to get upset during competition. Because to achieve peak performance you cannot let a minor setback ruin your whole performance. Throw out the idea of being a perfectionist! If you carry these high expectations into your competition you set yourself up for feeling like you are failing and you leave yourself very little room for success.

Let go of errors before emotions snowball out of control.

I was watching Phil Mickelson play golf in the final round of the 2010 Masters, which he was in the lead. He had trouble all week hitting the fairways off the tee and in the last round he again put a drive in the woods and had a very difficult recovery shot under the pressure of The Masters Championship. He stepped up to his ball and hit a shot through the trees and onto the green and saved par on the whole. The announcer who was following him went on to say that that is what separates Phil from all the other golfers in the world. When Phil hits a bad shot he regains control of his emotions and it allows him to focus on hitting a great next shot.

Having control of your emotions is when you stay even keeled and poised even when you are challenged with adversity. Even the top athletes like Phil and Tiger Woods get frustrated and upset when they make errors but they are able to regain control quickly and get back on track fast. Recovering quickly from mistakes separates champions athletes and those who crack when adversity strikes.

Every athlete has the capability to achieve peak performance, not just the top athletes. I hope you can use these simple strategies on your way to peak performance and success in your sport.

by Joe Villapiano

Joe is an assistant Harvard Football coach and Recruiting Coordinator. He also leads iB-LIEVE's team building programs.

Performance for the Changemaker in you: 'Tank Man'

2010-05-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Next week marks the 21^st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. The people of China converged on the capital hoping to cleanse the party of corruption and encourage free speech. On June 5^th, 1989 the Chinese government cracked down on the Tiananmen Square protests with tanks and soldiers armed with semiautomatic weapons. After a day of brutal attacks on its people, one man decided to stand up and take extraordinary action.

The tank man was an ordinary person, probably on his way home from work, briefcase and groceries in hand. I imagine he was disgusted at what he had seen in the previous days. He had enough and stood in front of a column of tanks to stop them. He then climbed on top of the tank and he began to scream at the commander in the lead tank. It is clear at this point, that tank man is willing to risk his life.

Little is known about this mans identity. His lone act of defiance becomes an icon of freedom across the globe. He became an inspiration to millions and he changed lives forever. Since the day tank man made his heroic stand, his country has changed beyond recognition (enter capitalism). China will never be the same again.

What gave this ordinary man the will power to stand up, speak out and risk his life?

PBS Frontlines Report on Tank Man

by Daniel McCaffrey

e: dmccaffrey@goibelieve.com

t: @demccaffrey

fb: Daniel McCaffrey

Performance for the leader in you

2010-05-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

“The rose has no ‘why’, it blooms when it blooms. It doesn’t watch itself or wonder if anyone else sees it.”

Angelus Silesius, the German mystic shares this poetic insight to remind us about what’s important when we we’re looking to perform at our peak. As leaders, peak performance is attained when we have focused attention in the right direction. We limit ourselves and our ability to perform at our highest capacity when our attention is singularly focused on what others are doing, or when we get caught up in what others think about what we’re doing.

For leaders, we perform best when we are in it to win it. In other words, when we are focused on the goal we are working towards or the project of which we are a part, our chance for optimal performance increases exponentially. The leader, like the rose, will bloom when s/he keeps the goal or project front and center.

In peace,

Jonathan Kroll

t: @jonathan_kroll

e: jkroll@goibelieve.com

fb: Jon Kroll

Jonathan is an educator at Emerson College in Boston preparing for his PhD in the fall.

Performance for the professional in you

2010-05-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Being in the wine & spirits business, the first iconic figure I think of when I hear the term "performance," is Gary Vaynerchuk or as most of us know him, "Gary V." Gary V is a multifaceted icon known for his wine advice, the energetic host of Wine Library TV, a recent New York Times best selling author (Crush it! Why now is the Time to Cash in your Passion), and a video blogger who’s turned into a social media genius. He has proven to be a largely successful businessman that loves his business, people, and most importantly, the hustle.

To understand how Gary V maintains his performance edge, let’s take a look into his attitude on business and life. Here are a few bullet-points on Gary V and what it means to perform at your best:

It takes a boatload of patience to be able to perform at a high level.

If you ever watch or listen to Gary V, he appears anything but patient. He’s aggressive and in your face…almost to an unbearable level. However, behind the scenes you will notice a businessman who exudes what it means to remain patient. For years, Gary and his family primarily utilized traditional advertising techniques to build his family’s local wine business. This expanded over generations and they were able to turn a small business into a prominent wine distributor/seller. However, Gary saw more potential in his family’s business. That’s when he turned to new social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV (his video blog about wine). This allowed him to turn his family’s wine business into a national industry leader where he leveraged a dual identity as both business guru and wine expert. Although from his social media success it may appear that his business success was rapid and overnight, his business was already established and had a great reputation from a life-long process his parents worked so hard at. With patience, Gary V was able to grow his family’s business and dreams into something bigger than ever expected. Without patience, it would have never occurred.

Work/work balance = focus.

Just as important as maintaining a work/life balance is maintaining a work/work balance. Gary shows us that in order to perform at our best, we will need to perform with focus and purpose. In order to perform to our best ability, we need to be organized, not only in the office but in our minds. To maintain a work/work balance requires clarity around business vision and direction. It means having a plan and committing to that plan. As Gary V says, it doesn’t make sense to have “1 ass on 10 toilets”. He shows us that performing on the cutting edge requires us to create and maintain focus, while getting lean mentally, physically, and businesswise. By taking the time to create focus, we achieve quality performance as opposed to quantity. And quality performance will drastically improve quantity profit.

Do what you love.

More than anything he does, he brings passion into everything he gets involved in. He's unpretentious in his techniques and makes learning about wine fun because he loves what he does. He states, "Do what you love. Love your damn family and crush it." Working hard is a given to be successful in business, but without the passion to work hard, we cannot perform. Like Gary, we must endeavor to be the ultimate performer of our own content, be it on the web, with our hands, or with our minds. Performer and performance are inseparable concepts. You can't perform a "cover" of someone else's passion, but you can create your own, believe in it, and put yourself in a position to CRUSH IT!

by Raju Kansagra

e: rkansagra@goibelieve.com

fb: Raju Kansagra

Raju is a business owner in New Jersey. He graduated from Boston College with a bachelors in finance and philosophy. After trading on Wall Street for many years, Raj shifted focus to pursue his entrepreneurial interests. He is a co-founder of iB-LIEVE and the director of product development.

Performance for the athlete in you

2010-05-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was walking through an airport in Baltimore, Maryland trying to kill time during a lay over before my next flight took off to my final destination. I saw a book that immediately intrigued me, “Shop Class as Soulcraft”, by Matthew Crawford. The book is about how manual labor (working with one’s hands) has become a lost art only to be replaced by cubicle work and hours spent detached from life, staring at a computer screen; the former being intellectually stimulating and a gateway towards spiritual development and the latter resulting in apathetic and indifference to life in general. What caught my interest even more then the topic of the book was that word, SOULCRAFT and how it can directly be related to coaching and leading athletes towards peak performance.

The journey towards peak performance and individual excellence should, above all things, be soul-centered human development, soulcraft…Disguised by the hours of physical training, hidden underneath the hundreds of pounds of weights lifted, and long before the finish line is in sight you will find SOULCRAFT. It is betterment from the inside out. It is the invisible development that is mostly felt and not seen. Unfortunately it gets lost in the never ending effort to get bigger, faster, and stronger.

Whether your training of choice be strength training, speed training, cycling, swimming, yoga, tai-chi or any other movement-based training you are not only bettering your physical self but also your spiritual self, your soul. Most athletes, especially those younger athletes, have trouble getting past the tangible, comparatively obvious benefits of physical, movement-based training, the larger muscles and the faster movements. However, after years of training (at any craft) it becomes quite obvious that your soul is on that same path of development. It is a challenge for all coaches to instill an understanding and awareness that spiritual development might be the most important aspect of any athlete’s efforts toward optimizing performance. My rationale is this: If you are a sprinter and spend hours a day mastering the mechanics of your stride, both length and frequency and hours developing the appropriate musculature for an explosive start and a strong finish so that at the end of the day (career) when father-time creeps up and your muscles simply don’t fire as fast as they used to, what do you have left??? You have a body that was once fast but a mind and soul that will forever (as long as you are alive) be strong, resilient and poised, traits that can result from challenges of training and competition.

In my opinion it is essential for a coach to instill in his/her athletes that you are not only training for your sport you are training for your life.

Check out these books for interesting readings on the topic:

“Reinventing the body; Ressurecting the Soul”, by Deepak Chopra

“Shop Class as Soulcraft”, by Matthew Crawford

Stay believing,

Pete Athans #27

e: pathans@goibelieve.com

fb: Peter Athans

Pete is a strength and conditioning coach at West Point Military Academy and director for Athletics programs for iB-LIEVE.

Communication for the change maker in you

2010-05-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

In January 2008 a well-known U.S. Senator became the front-runner in the Presidential election with some very smart campaigning and an excellent campaign slogan – Change We Can Believe in. President Barack Obama changed the communication landscape in political campaigns by using new and creative ways to fuel and grow his community. In creating a concise and clear message that resonated with the temperature of the country and cut through race and gender, he was able to engage and energize a community of change makers that wanted to make a difference.

Political campaigns are about making personal connections with voters that will leave a positive impression until Election Day. Realistically candidates are unable to shake everyone’s hand, kiss each baby’s forehead, and sit down at the kitchen table of every home. But instead they create a communication strategy that allows the candidate to “touch” each voter in some fashion before they go to the polls. And Obama’s campaign revolutionized a new medium that will forever change the political scene.

“Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not be president.” said Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post. YouTube allowed Obama free advertisements with his commercials. Facebook and MySpace provided a platform for people to talk about the issues relevant to them and their families. And the campaign used an assortment of websites to leverage small donors and collect millions in online donations of less than $100. In other words, Obama became a one-man viral marketing campaign.

Two years later Obama’s administration continues to use these channels to communicate to their constituents. They believe, just like many of us do, that the family no longer congregates at the kitchen table, or in front of the TV, but rather online.

By Eddie McCaffrey

e: emccaffrey@goibelieve.com

t: @GOiBELIEVE

fb: iB-LIEVE Fan Page

Eddie is a Government Relations professional working at The California Group, a public affairs firm located in San Francisco, CA

Communication for the professional in you

2010-05-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

Communication is far more complex than a simple exchange of information between people. Think about it. We’ve spent a lifetime trying to master communication (consciously and subconsciously) and yet we still struggle with it! Why is communicating so difficult? Why can’t we just communicate and be done with it?

Although there are many elements to communication, I’d like to zoom in on one element that I believe to be the most critical. It’s an element overlooked by many and butchered by many more. We’re talking about nonverbal communication. Body language! Nonverbal communication is the process of communication in which we send and receive wordless messages. It’s something we have grown accustomed to all our lives and its how we naturally communicate with the world.

In fact, research shows that the majority of our communication is nonverbal. That means we communicate with each other more without even uttering a single word! We do this with our facial expressions, our gestures, how long we maintain eye contact, our posture, how we roll our eyes, sigh, or even change the tone of our voice. We simply communicate by living!

The point is, we are always communicating. And even when we are not communicating, we are still communicating! We are sending nonverbal messages to everyone around us at all times! Becoming aware of this simple fact can help us become excellent communicators.

Gaining awareness of our body language and the body language of our peers allows us the ability to gain understanding of what it might indicate within those experiences. By doing so, we may be able to communicate more effectively with each other and enrich the entire experience.

To put this idea into perspective, take a step back and become aware of the nonverbal communication you’re exercising right now. As you’re reading my blog, notice your posture. Are you slouched? Are you sitting upright? If I were to see you reading these very words, would I think you’re engaged? Would I think you’re bored?

Taking the insight gained from this little exercise on your body language in your day to day activities, turn outward and apply what you’ve learned in other situations throughout the day. Remember to ask yourself, “What message am I sending right now?”

By Joe Lamendola

e: jlamendola@goibelieve.com

t: @joelamendola

fb: Joe Lamendola

Joe is a Senior Logistics Manager at a online retailer in Boston.

Communication for the leader in you

2010-05-18T07:52:00.001-07:00

“Stories are the language of leadership…real power emanates from our ability to connect to ourselves and those around us.” Kevin Cashman shares this insight in his book, Leadership from the Inside Out.

What stories are you a part of? What stories have influenced you and brought you significant learning and transformation? More importantly, what stories are you communicating? Take a moment to think about those questions and please share some comments and responses.

In order to be the powerful leaders Cashman describes, our job is to two fold: connect with ourselves and connect with others. To connect with others, leaders need to share stories. By storytelling, we powerfully communicate who we are and what we are about – our vision and goals. Doing so enables others to get on board, to get excited, and to get in the mood for partnership or collaboration. To connect with ourselves, leaders need to listen authentically. By listening to others, we take in new information. This new information leads to new learning. And by reflecting upon that new learning, we connect to ourselves.

In peace,

Jonathan Kroll

t: @jonathan_kroll

e: jkroll@goibelieve.com

fb: Jon Kroll

Jonathan is an educator at Emerson College in Boston preparing for his PhD in the fall.

Communication for the athlete in you

2010-05-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

This blog is written for the coaches who have the enormous responsibility and privilege of coaching young men and women. My goal in this blog is to start coaches on the right track to building a team attitude with positive coaching and communicating techniques. I believe attitude is the most important part about being an athlete. Your attitude determines how well you perform on and off the field and can make or break a team. As a coach it is very important to realize that the players you coach are all different. The sport they play is one thing they have in common but when they leave the field they all lead very different lives. It is the job of the coach to understand and respect their differences and build team attitude with those differences in mind. It is not easy to develop team attitude because of what each player individually brings to the team. For example, their egos, backgrounds, parents and other social factors all play into the attitude of your players and team. Here are some coaching and communicating strategies that I feel work when trying to build team attitude.

Leadership starts with the coach. It is extremely important for the coach to be a great leader on and off the field. The coach sets the example for the players to follow. You must walk and talk the way you want your players to walk and talk. For example, if you want your players to have a positive attitude, coach with a positive attitude. The reason this is so important is because the players change every year and so does the leadership within the team. The coach is the one constant, the one person everyone on the team can look up to and know exactly what to expect every time.
Honesty and accountability. Make sure every player knows exactly where they stand and how important they are to the success of the team. Let them know what you expect out of them and what they can expect out of you.
Shoot from the hip: consistent and equal treatment for all players. Players have to know what to expect and that they will be treated equal to any other player on the team. What is good for one must be good for all because what is bad for one is bad for all.
Roles within the team. Every player must know what they can and can’t do. Not every player can carry the football or take the game winning shot. Be direct and positive about defining these roles. For example, you might tell your players, “He is carrying the football because he has the best vision or she is taking the game winning shot because she is the best shooter.“
Call a spade a spade. If you have a team issue, get it out on the table. Address the problem by speaking what’s on your mind. Do not avoid or sugarcoat a team issue, that will lead to misunderstanding and the problem will get worse.

There is no prefect approach to building team attitude because every player, coach and team is different. But I hope this list of coaching and communicating strategies helps guide you to build a more consistent and comfortable environment for you players to excel. Remember your players cannot excel without an excellent attitude!

by Joe Villapiano

Joe is an assistant Harvard Football coach and Recruiting Coordinator. He also leads iB-LIEVE's team building programs.

Communication for the change maker in you

2010-05-14T11:33:00.001-07:00

"The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.” Joseph Priestley, 18^th century philosopher, scientist, and clergyman.

Joseph Priestley provides good food for thought. Thousands of years ago we used to listen to a preacher every Sunday. Is there a stage for this kind of storytelling in the 21^st century? Today’s technologies sometimes limit our storytelling to wall posts and 140 characters. Advances in communication technologies over the past half-century have revolutionized mass communication. Earlier this week it was announced that social technologies like facebook are being used by politicians and government agencies to interact with and serve their constituents.

Changemakers like former UK prime minister Gordon Brown suggests that the web can be used to communicate to organize and to create a community, “We now have the capacity to find common ground with people we will never meet but who we will meet through the internet and through all the modern means of communication, that we now have the capacity to organize and take collective action together to deal with the problem or an injustice that we want to deal with, and I believe that this makes this a unique age in human history, and it is the start of what I would call the creation of a truly global society.” The TED stage provides a place for 21^st century changemakers to share “ideas worth spreading,” through storytelling.

I wonder if Gordon Brown agrees with his fellow countryman Joseph Priestley’s sentiment on communication?

by Daniely McCaffrey

e: dmccaffrey@goibelieve.com

t: @demccaffrey

fb: Daniel McCaffrey

Communication for the scholar in you

2010-05-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Beliefs are passed from person to person, like a contagious virus, through conversation. In this analogy, conversation is like a sneeze and the words and stories that carry and spread beliefs are like the sneeze droplets that carry and spread the virus. Communication is just one way to spread beliefs, but as we all know, word of mouth spread is powerful. We speak to one another, professing our acculturated points of view on the biggest and smallest of things, and if the person we’re talking to is open, is susceptible, they catch our beliefs. And it works both ways. When others share their stories, perspectives, and opinions with us, if we’re listening, we catch their beliefs, for better or worse. We catch worrisome beliefs, fears, and doubts from others. We also catch optimistic beliefs, hopes, and confidence from them. And the beliefs we catch shape us. How does this work? This week, I’ll blog about the spread and impact of fearful beliefs and next weak optimistic beliefs.

CATCHING FEARFUL BELIEFS

Consider the following scenario. Imagine you’re a participant in an experiment. You walk into a lab where a researcher in a long white coat greets you and sits you down in front of a computer screen. She hits the enter key to display a blue square and tells you that in the experiment when you see this square, you may receive an electric shock. She hits enter again to display a green square and tells you that during the experiment, when you see this square, you will never receive a shock. You give her the ok to begin the experiment, and she sets you up inside an MRI scanner. As you watch squares display on a screen one at a time, the scanner captures images of your brain. How do you think you would respond to blue squares as compared to green squares? What if you were never actually shocked, would you be afraid of the blue squares?

If you are anything like the participants in Phelps and colleagues’ study at NYU, you would feel threatened by the blue squares but not the green squares, even if you were never actually shocked during the experiment. Participants in this experiment showed 2 threat responses to the shock-related square as compared to the other square. First, participants showed heightened activity in their left amygdala, a region important for identifying possible threats and rewards in the environment. Second, participants displayed a heightened sweat response to the shock-related square, which is a measure of arousal in the body. These responses, which normally mean that our bodies are allocating resources to fight or flee for our lives, were activated when participants merely saw a square on a screen. Remember, they were never actually shocked in the experiment. They were just told that they would be shocked. This study shows us that beliefs about impending danger, spread from one person to another, can impact our brains and bodies even when there’s nothing to fear.

What beliefs have you caught that may be causing you to see threats that don’t actually exist?

Here’s a reference to the study: Phelps, E.A., O'Connor, K.J., Gatenby, J.C., Grillon, C., Gore, J.C. & Davis, M. (2001). Activation of the human amygdala to a cognitive representation of fear. Nature Neuroscience, 4, 437-441

Read more from the Phelps’ lab: http://www.psych.nyu.edu/phelpslab/pages/pubs.htm

by Kevin Bickart

e: kbickart@goibelieve.com
t: kbickart
fb: Kevin Bickart

Kevin is an MD/PhD student at Boston University studying the Neurobiology of Belief

Communication for the leader in you

2010-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I used a favorite song (Lemonade) from Chris Rice to share about the importance of an optimistic attitude. Since then I have been listening to Rice nonstop. He seems to have a song with an important message related to all of our recent blog themes. This week and next I will explore the topic of ‘communication’ from a leadership perspective. Before we get into it, reflect for a moment on the most transformative conversations you’ve been a part of. What was it that enabled you to listen and really hear the meaning behind what was being said? This reflection will help you create an image of what it means to effectively communicate, both from the listener’s and speaker’s point of view. Both points of view are critical for leaders.

Now, let’s get into what makes an effective speaker. I think we can all agree, that yelling, for the most part is not the most effective method of sharing information. In, “You Don’t Have To Yell”, Chris Rice shares, “Everybody take a breath. Why are all of your faces red? We’re missing all the words you said. You don’t have to yell.” When we get wrapped up in emotion and yell, people miss the information we say because they are caught up in our emotion. The loudness of our voices can actually be used as a tool. We can raise and lower our voice to artfully show our emotions without losing the audience. The way to judge whether you are successfully conveying your message is to become a good listener.

“If everyone would take a step back away and count to ten to clear your mind and start again, we won’t have to yell. Draw your lines and choose your sides. Cause many things are worth the fight, but louder doesn’t make you right. You don’t have to yell.” As leaders, it is crucial for us to be passionate about those things that are worth the fight. Use your passion as fuel to power your conversations with others and liven your vision when you lead the way. Yelling just won’t get it done.

In peace,

Jonathan Kroll

t: @jonathan_kroll

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Jonathan is an educator at Emerson College in Boston preparing for his PhD in the fall.

Communication for the professional in you

2010-05-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, education and technical skills are NOT the leading factors that drive business success. It’s actually effective communication and interpersonal skills! At first I didn’t believe it either. After all, we are taught throughout our entire lives that it’s education, grades, tests, etc. that will pave the road to our own successes. Wrong! It’s how well we communicate that gives us the opportunity for creating lasting success!

Don’t believe me? Check out this study done by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) compiled in 2005. The results are both alarming and exciting! The study shows that “business success is 85% dependent on effective communication and interpersonal skills”, while the remaining 15% consists of technical skills we’ve learned along the way.

Now take a breather. It’s going to be OK. The study isn’t suggesting we throw out all our text books or drop out of school because those elements are critical too. However, what the study does suggest is that if we can’t communicate and express ourselves concisely, those books are just a bunch of lifeless words written on pieces of paper. It’s up to us to make education come alive by applying our communication and interpersonal skills!

The point here is that our ability to communicate effectively will significantly influence our relationships (personal and professional), improve our value and reputation as professionals, and it will enrich our personal happiness…all leading to living a full, successful, and happy life. Our technical skills will allow us to perform the actual job, but our communication and interpersonal skills will allow us to move beyond our current job and into the jobs/roles we dream of.

Here are some helpful learning tools to develop effective communication skills:

21 Steps for Effective Communication: http://www.englishcafe.com/blog/developing-effective-communication-1-11601
Mind Tools on Communication Skills: http://www.mindtools.com/page8.html

By Joe Lamendola

e: jlamendola@goibelieve.com

t: @joelamendola

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Communication for the athlete in you

2010-05-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

“The difference between knowing the path and walking the path”- Morpheus

As a strength and conditioning coach, a great challenge of mine is bridging the gap between scientific research and practical application. For example, most athletes are not concerned with a scientific/biomechanical reason for an increase in speed; they simply want to get fast. Yet, learning some of the science is necessary for them to learn how to improve on their own, well beyond my coaching. I believe that to bridge this gap, as coaches, we must master effective communication. The challenge lies in choosing language that is both clear and concise but still gets across the scientific depth and reason behind the exercises I choose. Adding to the difficulty, I must also use language in a way that conveys my passion and unwavering certainty regarding the proper execution of the task at hand. Here, I use the term “language” to refer to both what we as coaches say and how we say it.

WHAT WE SAY | TO-THE-POINT

What we say refers to the actual words and phrases we use. As previously mentioned we need to be brief and crystal clear. When coaching, the shorter the phrase the better. We call them coaching cues. Phrases like, “set yourself”, “stay tight”, “be quick” are some that I find myself saying over and over again on a daily basis. In these short phrases are explicit, much more detailed directions. My intention here is to break down a complex task that demands a lengthy explanation so that when coaching I do not interrupt the flow of the training session. Usually, I use short phrases like these in sequence, step by step, to unfold the entirety of an exercise. By the end, my athletes are able to put the exercise together themselves and reuse the phrases because I communicated them to-the-point.

HOW WE SAY IT | WITH STYLE

I believe how we say it speaks much louder than what we say; louder than anything any coaching cue I could give. How we say it can be summed up in one word: STYLE. All coaches have their own style. It often takes time and experience to hone in on your own coaching style. Once mastered, great coaches don’t change their style for anyone or anything. Their style shows in the way they carry themselves and what they demand of themselves. They do not need to speak about it. Their actions and reactions communicate their style. The best coaches carry with them a presence that is impossible to ignore. After years of playing and dozens of coaches I can clearly remember the best one’s because of what they are, their coaching style, not because of what they say.

Stay believing,

Pete Athans #27

e: pathans@goibelieve.com

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Pete is a strength and conditioning coach at West Point Military Academy and director for Athletics programs for iB-LIEVE.

Attitude for the scholar in you

2010-05-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Thoughts are like tools. We can use them to build ourselves up or tear ourselves down. Picture yourself as a builder and your thoughts as your tools. Using your mental hammers, screwdrivers, and saws, you construct yourself and your experience of the world. By thinking in different ways, you can construct the way you see the world, how you feel, the decisions you make, and the way you act. In this view, thoughts are powerful. They matter. Thoughts, however, like hammers can be unwieldy for the inexperienced builder. They can be dangerous, used for self-destruction. To understand the impact of our thoughts, take a groundbreaking study conducted in a Stanford lab that examined whether people could voluntarily control their brain responses and pain experience with their thoughts. The new technology used was developed by Christopher deCharms, featured in the video below.

In the study, participants were trained to increase or decrease their own brain activity in a specific area that is reactive to pain, the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). They were given specific mental strategies to turn down or up brain activity in this area such as, “Attempt to perceive the stimulus as neutral (turn down) or tissue-damaging (turn up)” or “Attempt to perceive the stimulus as either low intensity (turn down) vs. high intensity (turn up).” In the fMRI scanner, they received painful heat stimulation to one arm while viewing a screen, which displayed a streaming video of a virtual fire (see below). The size of the fire corresponded to the amount of activity in their rACC, serving as real-time performance feedback. With practice, participants were able to reliably turn down and up activity in this region, making the fire smaller or larger. And they accomplished this just by thinking differently about the pain.

Using their thoughts, they were able to change their brain reactivity to painful stimuli and also turn up and down their subjective pain experience as evidenced by their pain ratings. In contrast, a control group of participants who received inaccurate feedback or no feedback were significantly less successful, if at all, at controlling their brain responses or pain experience. Moreover, chronic pain patients who underwent the same training replicated these findings and felt a stronger sense of control over their pain from the beginning to the end of training.

The scientists who headed the study wrote, “We all consciously and unconsciously control our brain for every activity we initiate, every thought we have, and every emotion or sensation we experience.” These findings suggest that we are able change the way our brains react to the environment by changing the way we think. And by changing our brains’ reactions, we change our experience. Most importantly this study shows that with practice and accurate feedback, we can master constructive thinking strategies and learn to wield our mental tools to build ourselves up instead of tearing ourselves down.

by Kevin Bickart

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Kevin is an MD/PhD student at Boston University studying the Neurobiology of Belief

Attitude for the leader in you

2010-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

When we talk about attitude, I can’t think of a better example of someone who is living the I’MPOSSIBLE attitude (check out my previous post) than musician, Chris Rice. Leaders can garner a great deal by listening to his lyrics and tunes. This is especially true for one of my favorites, a song titled Lemonade (from his Amusing album).

Lemonade opens by providing a suggestion about taking a risk and chancing it - “‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming”, so what do you have to lose? What are you waiting for? Leaders take chances. They go out on a limb – they take a stand – they journey to the edge(s). Leaders have the attitude of adventure and courage. Leaders don’t ask why, they ask why not! And then they go and take the risk, chance it to make it happen.

Rice also shares an important message about attitude when he sings, “Take your time to answer me, for the beauty of romancing...I can hardly breath while waiting, to find out what your heart is saying.” Although leaders are bold and daring in their adventurousness and courage, they also exemplify patience and pausing. Exceptional leaders also employ the I’MPOSSIBLE attitude with calm and collection.

But my favorite line in the song, the chorus, really gets me excited, “C’mon pour the glass and tempt me, either half full or half empty – ‘cause if it all comes down to flavor, the glass is tipping in my favor. Life gave me lemonade.” This is where the I’MPOSSIBLE attitude shines. Leaders realize there is a choice in how we see the world (either half full or half empty). Great leaders take it a step further and actively choose how to see the world - as half full. When we see the world as half full, when we use the I’MPOSSIBLE attitude, it works in our favor.

With lemons, you have a choice – sit in the sourness or choose to make lemonade. Check out the song and share your thoughts…

In peace,

Jonathan Kroll

t: @jonathan_kroll

e: jkroll@goibelieve.com

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Jonathan is an educator at Emerson College in Boston preparing for his PhD in the fall.

Attitude for the professional in you

2010-05-04T08:21:00.001-07:00

Everybody is probably familiar with Google's famous catchphrase, "Don't be evil." It has become a mission statement for Silicon Valley, speaking towards upholding ideals of attitude that are good for business and good for the world, such as embracing open platforms, trusting the public opinion of customer bases, and of course embracing a positive attitude towards employees. Ironically, one of the most successful CEOs in the world, Apple's Steve Jobs, has historically ignored these points in doing business. Google and Apple may have a friendly relationship (Google CEO Eric Schmidt even sits on Apple's board), but by Google's definition, Apple isn't exactly angelic, behaving more like an old-fashioned industrial titan than a uniquely ingenious business of the future.

THE EVIL GENIUS from Wired Magazine

Despite his wild success, Jobs seems to lead with a closed, somewhat dictatorial attitude towards Apple’s consumers and employees. According to a TIME magazine article last month, Jobs doesn't hold focus groups - "it doesn't ask people what they want. It tells them what they're going to want next." He continues to ignore iPhone users' requests to have a replaceable battery, which exemplifies how he exploits Apple's cult following. As for his attitude towards treating employees, Jobs subscribes to the "Great Man Theory" of leadership, which is a model of executive power that is outdated. His attitude towards management has been described in Bill Taylor’s blog for Harvard Business Review as, "the regular rules do not apply. That means shrouding his company in secrecy; treating his employees to tyrannical outbursts; and refusing basic accommodations that would make beautifully designed products more customer-friendly." Touted in this blog, although he pushes his employees to make some pretty impressive and innovative products, he is a horrible person to work for and it’s because of one thing – an arrogant, closed attitude in his approach to leadership and running his divine tech giant.

SUCCESS NONETHELESS

Despite his attitude, undoubtedly, Jobs will go down as one of the most creative, visionary, and powerful business leaders in history. As posed in Taylor’s article, “how many corporate execs can make a legitimate claim to have reshaped not just one industry but four: computing (the Mac), music (the iPod), mobile communications (the iPhone), and movies (Pixar)? And how many CEOs can make the legitimate claim that they achieved their wealth and power by making tens of millions of people so unbelievably happy that they worship the company and its products with almost religious devotion?” Although Jobs has proven to be less of humanitarian and employee conscious leader, he has the ability to choose otherwise. He has dominated 4 industries. "Can you imagine if Jobs' quest for perfection was met with a kinder, humbler attitude that didn't generally overrule the brilliance of his own management and employees? What could the tech world look like today? Next to the iPod, iPhone, and iPad on Jobs' desk, he should consider incorporating an iBOTTLE into the mix.

by Raju Kansagra

e: rkansagra@goibelieve.com

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Attitude for the athlete in you

2010-05-03T08:12:00.001-07:00

Running Journal Entry: Sunday, Sept 16, 2007. Training for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon.

Long Run- 19 miles in 2:27:20 (7:45 pace). Ran 2 9.5 mile loops on the Charles River. Started off easy running 8:30 miles, then ran Tempo from mile 8-13 (7 minute mile pace). Felt awesome on the tempo, ran strong. I was Zonin, floating, pumped. Hit mile 17 and face first into the wall! Started to break down, posture was bad, form went out the window on the last 2 miles. Fought hard and finished the run.

One of the keys to running a successful marathon is varying your pace during your long runs. This allows your muscles to get used to the stress of running fast when you are deep into a race. This particular journal entry shows how I ran at different tempo’s during this long run and shows how my body felt during different parts of the run. A couple weeks before this long training run I came up with a new adjective to describe one of my specific running mindsets, I called it Zonin. I likened this word to being in “The Zone”. I happened to use it in this entry and I want to give you the definition I wrote at the time I came up with it.

Zonin- The state of mind where my body is free of all feeling, straight up on cruise control. I feel like I am out of my body and in a ridiculous place. This usually happens when I think of something amazing. The key to Zonin is to be fully aware and enjoy every aspect of the journey.

My definition of Zonin sums up what it means to me to be mindful during athletic competition. Finding that mental state where everything is in flow around you and your body reacts effortlessly. Your mind no longer thinks about how to move your muscles or perform skills. Things like fear, doubt and worry are gone. There are a lot of factors that go into Zonin but I believe the answer lies in focus and concentration. During miles 8-13 of my run I focused my mind to run at race tempo and blocked out everything else. I really wanted to run a good, strong tempo for 5 miles and before I knew it I was done with the tempo. It felt like time and space disappeared. I was happy when I finished the tempo and that excitement carried me a couple more miles. The only thing I had left to do was get to mile 19. So naturally the intense focus and concentration I had during the tempo began to crack and over time my body began to break down. Sure I was physically tired but the lack of focus meant that I was mentally tired as well. That lack of focus ultimately caused the breakdown later in my run.

Being mindful, in “The Zone” or Zonin is a state that I don’t reach every time I run or train but it is something I continually try to achieve. It takes a lot of work to train your mind to keep focused over the course of an entire game or race. The key is to start small and progress from there. Practice focusing for 10 minutes, then 15 or 1 mile, then 2 miles and so on. Focusing your mind is a skill that you can learn and you can also practice to get better. Athletes that are mentally strong know how to focus and concentrate regardless of what the situation is. And those athletes are usually the most successful at what they do.

by Joe Villapiano

Joe is an assistant football coach at Harvard University. He has his masters in teaching from UCONN.

Attitude for the change maker in you

2010-04-30T09:43:00.001-07:00

Attitude, along with a few other qualities, is what separates me from you. At the core it is what separates us from our parents when they were our age. My parents grew up in a time when people opposed the Vietnam War and advocated for world peace by participating in public demonstrations. They expressed their attitude, their frustrations, and their happiness by actively engaging in a community. The medium in which we express our attitude has evolved since the 1960’s and 70’s, but yet generations and decades are still coming together and creating a harmonized attitude.

The Breakfast Club, one of the more iconic movies of a generation, helps explain the teenage angst that many were feeling at that time. It was displayed through a medium that helped define their voice. The late John Hughes activated this voice and empowered a generation to dig deep and discover the possibilities aside from what their parents or teachers said. In the 1990’s a generation became enveloped by music videos. The Smashing Pumpkins 1979 video and song is about an attitude that consists of hope and optimism, but includes an internal resistance. The art of music video’s allowed a culture to relate to different music genres that suited its attitude. And within the last ten years people have found a personal freedom that has displaced the middle man and allowed for the ability to express their attitude in real time. We are no longer looking towards directors or musicians to be moved. We are sharing our thoughts, feelings, and frustrations through our own videos, photos, status updates, or 140 character posts.

You may already be asking yourself, what’s next? What is the next medium that we will use to express our attitudes? But I believe that there is a more important question to ask. And that is, what is the attitude that will define the next decade, the next generation? What is going to be the attitude that will separate itself from its ancestors?

By Eddie McCaffrey

e: emccaffrey@goibelieve.com

t: @GOiBELIEVE

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Eddie is a Government Relations professional working at The California Group, a public affairs firm located in San Francisco, CA

Attitude for the scholar in you

2010-04-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

William James, a pioneer in the field of psychology, once wrote, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”

The study of psychobiology, which has received more attention in recent years, scientifically examines the influence of our attitudes on our lives. Over the last 20 years, researchers have developed new and innovative ways to study the mind-body connection. Dr. Dennis Charney, one of the most prominent psychobiologists, pried into this field of study by examining war veterans. Charney’s work aims to understand what psychological and biological factors characterize soldiers who endure the trauma of battle and afterward, recover mentally and physically. He compares war veterans who are healthy and successfully functioning in life to those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are struggling to function. Charney defines the veterans who’ve adapted in the face of extreme stress or adversity as stress-resilient and those who have been diagnosed with PTSD as stress-vulnerable.

Among many intriguing findings, Charney’s research has identified a number of relevant character traits that seem to differentiate resilient from vulnerable people. From his earlier work at the NIMH and later work at Mt. Sinai in NYC, his research group has revealed a set of attitudes and behaviors that can help maintain well-being during stress. The following list was adapted from a review written by Charney and his colleagues in 2007 (to learn more, click here).

Anyone can see from this list that our attitudes matter. They greatly impact our well-being and ability to function and grow during adverse times. If you have a poor attitude, however, do not fear. From Charney’s work, it is clear that people can learn to embrace and cultivate positive, flexible, and constructive attitudes towards life. Start now. Changing your mind will change your life.

by Kevin Bickart

e: kbickart@goibelieve.com
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Kevin is an MD/PhD student at Boston University studying the Neurobiology of Belief.

Attitude for the leader in you

2010-04-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

“I’MPOSSIBLE” is an attitude. It is a way of life. It is the courage to look at the impossible and say, “I am possible.” Great leaders understand the importance of attitude. They understand that not just any attitude will get them to where they want to go. But having the right attitude is the difference maker. I’MPOSSIBLE is the right attitude - it is the attitude of success!

Writers from many different fields express the importance and power of an I’MPOSSIBLE attitude. From self-help to psychology and business to leadership, research shows that our minds are powerful. Beyond research, we can all attest to the fact that our attitudes, whether negative or positive, shape the way we think, feel, and act. I believe that if we can shift our negative or limiting attitudes to be positive and empowering, we will be able to accomplish incredible endeavors. Others have said it better than me – look below to see what famous leaders have to say about the I’MPOSSIBLE attitude.

“When we look out into the world, we do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are…The world is simply a mirror. Simply put, if you are in a wonderful mood, if you’ve just fallen in love, the world is a glorious place full of beauty and promise. If you are miserable, if you just lost a pile of money in the stock market, the world is a hateful, hopeless place in which nothing good will ever happen for you. The World did not change.” Cheri Huber – Making a Change For Good

I’MPOSSIBLE is about looking at the world in a particular way - in a wondrous way!

“I believe that stories, again, not the ones people tell us but the ones we tell ourselves, determine nothing less than our personal and professional destinies…Participate in your story rather than observing it from afar; make sure it is a story that compels you…After all, you’re not just the author of your story, but the main character, the hero." Jim Loehr – The Power of Story

I’MPOSSIBLE is about seeing yourself as the Hero of your own story!

“The sun shown on me, it’s true, as my brother Michael always tells me. But my story is as much about perseverance and drive as it is of talent and luck. I willed it to happen. I took my life into my own hands, learned from anyone I could, grabbed what opportunity I could, and molded my success step by step.” Howard Schultz – CEO of Starbucks Coffee

I’MPOSSIBLE is about willing it to happen – taking your life into your hands and purposefully molding it!

In peace,

Jonathan Kroll

t: @jonathan_kroll

e: jkroll@goibelieve.com

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Jonathan is an educator at Emerson College in Boston preparing for his PhD in the fall.