How a media boss turns their to-do list into a power move

How a media boss turns their to-do list into a power moveHow a media boss turns their to-do list into a power moveThe to-do list has turned into a small industry, with special notebooks (see the Weekly Action Pad) and experts and apps. People have a love-hate relationship with to-do lists theyre either enemies of productivity or old stalwarts for getting things done but Kate Lewis, the Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines, takes a different, more freewheeling approach to her list.As she tells The Cut, she writes a detailed to-do list weekly, in eight-point font. Its a tremendously overwhelming thing.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAnd then?Then I throw it out. I figure whatever I can remember from what Ive written down is what I really have to do, and everything else is kind of bullshit. Its so good. For so long I had notebooks and downloaded to-do list apps, and as soon as I wrote everything in there, I was mad. So I was like, okay, Im going to try a new approach, and this has been very effective for me. If you fall off the list, sorrySounds like the go-with-the-flow approach is a great way for fending off resentment for the pile of work thats waiting for you and its not like youre going to forget about that big meeting or lunch anyway. And who really needs another to-do app or to learn how to execute another new type of to-do listing anyway? Toss out your notebooks, everyone and dont be offended if youre the one that gets dropped off an agenda or two

Americans are accepting of employees using Adderall, but not students or athletes

Americans are accepting of employees using Adderall, but not students or athletesAmericans are accepting of employees using Adderall, but not students or athletesAmericans are more accepting of an employee taking the controlled substance Adderall to focus on their workday than they are a student popping the same or similar type of cognitive enhancer to cram for a test or athletes looking for an edge using it, a new study from Penn Medicine neurologists found.Cognitive enhancers are drugs that boost alertness, awakeness, tighten focus, and usually are stimulants, including Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse. They are usually prescribed to people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD).Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIn the study, acceptance welches based on how the use of these cognitive-enhancing drugs was framed. In online surveys taken by 3,700 people, it was found tho se surveyed were more accepting when the use of cognitive enhancers was framed as fuel rather than steroids.Clearly, this response was colored by misuse the many athletes banned for using the drug, and students taking a shortcut to get ahead in their studies.While some see these drugs as a way to maximize potential, others view it as a misuse, akin to cheating. Our study sheds light on the attitudes of the public which may help us better understand, discuss, and address the misuse of these medications among adolescents and adults, said senior author Anjan Chatterjee, MD, a professor of Neurology and director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, in a release.The context was also important to acceptance. Was the user a student, a professional athlete, or an employee?Another part of the acceptance of employees using them is the idea that a focused and productive worker benefits society as a whole, while individuals using cognitive enhancers for their own reasons are more inherently selfish.Use of cognitive enhancers by athletes or students may be less acceptable than use by employees in the workplace because of the perceived higher gain to society in the latter, said Erin C. Conrad, MD, a resident in the Neurology department. Unlike a student improving a test score or an athlete winning a race, when the workforce in enhanced, everyone stands to benefit.The study was published in AJOB Neuroscience.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Recruiters confess the interview qualities that are instant nos

Recruiters confess the interview qualities that are instant nosRecruiters confess the interview qualities that are instant nosHeres a smack of cold, hard truth to the face for you If you wake up every single day, cringing at the thought of going to work something has to give. And while we would all love to live in the lap of luxury without worrying about a paycheck, the vast majority of the population needs to log those hurs to make ends meet - and exceed. One solution is to seek and secure a new gig, where your passions and talents will be celebrated and appreciated.If youve been in the same field or the same company for several years though, the idea of moving might be equally exciting as it is overwhelming. Trained recruiters have vast, trusted connections across many industries, giving you a better shot at getting your resume - and your face - in front of the right person.But when recruiters take on new clients, theyre very specific about their selection process. Since their network is their livelihood, they will only assist a job seeker if they know they can vouch for their skill set. And since theyve seen the best of the best - and ahem, the worst of the worst - they often have the inside knowledge on what employers find to be off-putting.Looking for an inspiring way to start your day? Sign up forMorning MotivationIts our friendly Facebook robot that will send you a quick note every weekday morning to help you start strong. Sign up here by clicking Get StartedHere, they share what past clients say leads to an instant rejection letterYou apply to multiple positionsSo theres a company you really, really (really, really) want to work for. And to get in the door, you think its A-OK to apply for as many openings as seem somewhat plausible for your background and interest. Though its great to have a goal and affinity toward a specific corporate mission or offering, founder and diversity recruiter at East Coast Executives, Kenneth L. Johnson says its bette r to have a strategic, targeted position in mind, instead of going on an resume-submitting frenzy.If youre interested in a particular organization try connecting with multiple people within the organization verses applying to multiple openings. One can leverage several of the social media platforms but I suggest focusing on LinkedIn, Johnson suggests. If done strategically this will place you firmly on the radar of decision makers and hiring influencers and youll be able to leverage the new relationships to explore Information Interviews to learn more about what it takes to be a successful candidate moving forward.Youre disrespectful to any team memberKerry Wekelo, the Managing director of human resources and operations at Actualize Consulting, says that from the moment you check-in with security downstairs and head upstairs to meet with the CEO, you should be your most professional, respectful self. From the assistant who asks if youd like some water to the team member who intervie ws you for a cultural fit - any sign of attitude will slash your name from the candidate list.As she explains, If you are unkind to anyone, we assume you may be unkind to our clients. Follow up with a thank you note - email or handwritten - to all you speak with, even the administrative staff. This simple act goes a long way and will make you stand out among your peers.You cant illustrate your experience with examplesMuch like when a lawyer presents facts to sway a jury or when a doctor consults a lab for test results, proof is everything in business, no matter your industry. Thats why Wekelo says its important to color your background when youre interviewing.If you are not able to clearly and concisely describe your previous experience with detailed examples, we will not move forward, because you have not taken the time to sell your skills, she shares. Be sure to have detailed examples for each of the bullet points on your resume. Be able to describe your value-add for each expe rience in order to fully depict your skills.You lie about something anythingRegardless of whether youre having a phone screening with a recruiter or a potential employer your hustler put you in touch with, leading every sentence with honesty is well, ya know, the best policy. As president of HS Staffing, Bruce Hurwitz explains Even a white lie is enough to send any opportunity packing.If it becomes clear that they lied, that ends the interview, Hurwitz says. The alternative solution is for them to apologize and convince me that it was a misunderstanding - which rarely happens Employers dont hire liars.You talk negatively about your former employerEven if you let your recruiter in on the gossip of your company as a way to explain why youre eying a move, leave any of that negativity at the door when you walk in for an interview. As Wekelo explains, when you approach a prospective employer with a poor attitude toward the last, youre not showing your ability to see the silver lining.T here are always going to be challenges, so how well you positively navigate focusing on the positives and lessons learned - is what we are looking for in an interview, she says. When asked why you left the firm, for example, you can say, I left my former employer because I wanted to expand my skill sets. I learned the basics from my previous employer, then had an opportunity to grow more and took the chance.

Protecting Power Plants from Blackouts

Protecting Power Plants from Blackouts Protecting Power Plants from Blackouts Protecting Power Plants from BlackoutsA recently signed formal agreement between Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) and the University of Idaho is facilitating a research project designed to determine generator model parameters at power plants while the ordnungsprinzip is operating.Currently, the only method to determine parameters is implemented when the system is offline, and that makes it difficult to recreate real-world conditions, and thus, results are elend as reliable as needed.The research is expected to enable operators to more accurately plan and react to disturbances on the power grid.Led by University of Idaho Engineering Professor Brian Johnson, whose interests and work include power electronic applications for the control of power transmission and distribution systems, the two-year research project could ultimately lead to the prevention of brownouts and blackouts or at least much fewer of them. The project is sponsored by SEL, which manufactures power protection systems.System planners will have a better prediction of how the system is going to respond, Johnson says. By getting a better model of the machines, they can better predict whether the system is close to the edge of stability or whether they have a big margin.Machine manufacturers typically provide most, if not all, of the parameters at the time of manufacture, but these are not always validated, and some of the parameters vary over time. It was learned from major blackouts starting in the 1990s that the causes were often triggered by a small event or sequence of small events that build up to big problems. Johnson notes that investment in building power transmission and generation infrastructure that had been growing through the 1970s practically stopped after that because permission to install new lines took a long time. Because system modeling and the ability to determine a systems stability was more l imited before then, systems had been generally overbuilt to compensate. That extra margin allowed for additional electrical load over the next couple of decades but by the 1990s, much of the margin had been used up, and a series of widespread power failures occurred in the West and, subsequently, in other parts of the country as well.The New York skyline with half the city in blackout due to a power failure during Hurricane Sandy. Image David Shankbone / Wikimedia CommonsOne of the biggest happened on the afternoon of Aug. 10, 1996. According to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, a power line sagged into trees just southwest of Portland, OR, during a period of high temperatures and high demand for electricity. It wasnt the only power line in the area to fail. Within two hours, five power lines in Oregon and nearby Washington short-circuited and 13 hydroturbines at McNary Dam about 190 miles away also ceased operation. These events triggered power outages that affected mil lions of customers for up to six hours from Canada to Baja California, Mexico.In a follow-up study, one issue that stood out was that the models of some of the equipment werent good enough, and plant operators did not know how close the systems were to failure. It took several years to collect the data for the study because most of the event data from various recorders of the equipment wasnt time synchronized. Then, when the sequence of events was recreated exactly with the simulation models, the system was stable. Since the real system had had failures, researchers concluded that there were problems with the models.Despite understanding the problem and the call for utilities to update models for all their generators, a lot has not been done super well, Johnson, says, adding, however, that they have probably done as much as they could. He says there have been few consultants who really understand what needs to be done. Equipment hasnt been widely available and development costs prob ably couldnt have been recouped discouraging further work, he adds.He believes that could change with a positive outcome for his project and that SEL is likely interested in adding such monitoring to its existing products. Some of the information required is already being collected by SEL equipment. By doing some additional calculations and using new data in combination with what is already being monitored could greatly improve reliability, he said.Johnson acknowledges that coming up with a set of equations to calculate the parameters is still going to be a challenge. But within the two-year research-phase of the project, he is hopeful that the algorithms will be developed, validated, and ready to pass along to SEL, which may need an additional couple of years of engineering before being ready to go online.Nancy S. Giges is an independent writer.Learn more about the latest energy technologies at ASMEs Power and Energy 2015. For Further DiscussionBy getting a better model of the mach ines, power plant operators can better predict whether the system is close to the edge of stability or whether they have a big margin.Dr. Brian Johnson, University of Idaho College of Engineering

What s a Resume Tips & Guide

What s a Resume Tips & Guide The very best thing is that you always have the option to specialize in a different area of medicine for a physician assistant thats going to enable you to make more in regards to your salary. Getting noticed There are lots of methods of easily catching the eye of a possible employer, but the easiest way is to provide a resume thats neatly written and simple to read. Assuming youre fortunate and capture a persons attention for enough time to really read the resume, the very last thing you would like is them being distracted by formatting. Youre going to want to follow up that explanation with a statement that the situation that leuchtdiode to the gap is currently over, (if it was an ill family member for example), or that youre searching for a company that can provide stability and want to get somewhere to grow your skills for a number of years. Resume gaps are most likely the number one thing that folks fret about before they head in the work ind ustry. Our clients are way more likely to acquire an interview as a result of our intervention than not. Such statements should include things like words which are job specific like production, assembly abilities and a lot more. Fill in the gaps when youre in the front of the hiring manager. Also show youre a well-rounded worker. You want to not just catch the hiring managers eyeyou must make sure they look over your statement and say Whew Whether youre a company owner, operations manager, or just a serial entrepreneur, if youre on the lookout for a job you will need a resume. Theres no doubt that a resume which is both cohesive and professional will have a much better likelihood of standing from the crowd even supposing its made utilizing a template. Your purpose is to find the job. Also emphasizing that youre a stable, consistent menschengerecht being whos sincerely interested in the organization and position. Just go on the internet and within almost no time, you can choos e your selection of employer or employee, whos a trustworthy authority in your field of expertise. Unlike the recognizable errors like partial info, security is a big issue with offline applications. In truth, it may be better if youre able to specialize in a specific market or niche. Some job applications need additional info to be submitted along with the application itself. Writing a strong application is a difficult procedure and we would like to make it simpler. The Downside Risk of Whats a Resume Job seekers ought to take advantage of professional associations and other networking events that will set them in front of people who can help them get work. LPNs can work in any region of the healthcare market. Transportation jobs involve plenty of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can manage that. Remember that the honors category is reserved for the activities which you were chosen to take part in through some sort of selection practice. If you are in possession of a very good GPA highlight it. If you own a college education, omit details about high school. All information ought to be accurate and up-to-date. A more personalized sort of resume where the details are customized to coincide with the corporations job requirements. All they need to do is search certain abilities or keywords together with a location. The site should show off your very best work. abverkauf is much like customer service as salespeople can be effective in an assortment of industries. You may also have to think to be an HR or a hiring manager. Real estate is a rather lucrative industry so its obviously a competitive one. Resume objectives can be somewhat controversial. The absolute most important info to highlight are any degrees you might have. If you write in various fields, think about dividing your portfolio into sections. The subject of information technology grows more important daily.

Life After Uni How To Score Your First Real Job

Life After Uni How To Score Your First Real Job Life After Uni How To Score Your First Real JobPosted October 13, 2011, by Andrea Riddell Youre standing in your graduation gown, diploma in hand and no longer classified as a student. Its time to leave the toga parties and two-minute noodles behind and put your degree to use in the real world. One thing you need to remember is that around the country many young hopefuls just like yourself are graduating at the same time with similar education and experience, all vying for the same jobs as you. This can make getting a job in your career field fresh out of university tricky, but all it takes is some resilience, a great attitude and a clear understanding of what you want. What do you want? Firstly, its important for you to work out what careers you are interested in. Just because you have completed a law degree does not mean you have to become a lawyer you may be interested in business analysis or politics. An arts degree under your bel t could unlock the doors to careers in journalism, community services or even tourism. With so many options, how do you narrow it down? Think of any work experience you might have had and what you enjoyed about it. Perhaps you took a liking to writing articles, or you enjoyed working in small teams. Even think of subjects or assignments in your course that you liked and excelled in. Whatever your strengths, apply for jobs with these in mind. Putting your skills to paper Once you have decided what jobs to apply for you need to make sure your resume is up-to-date and makes you stand out from the crowd. Your degree is your main asset at this point, but any additional experience you have is a bonus however, if you havent been able to gain any experience in the field, dont despair. Any work experience, volunteer work, achievements and extra-curricular activities will help to show your work ethic, initiative, potential and versatility. Cover letters allow you the opportunity to sell you rself to the employer. Be specific dont expect to get the job with a generic cover letter. Address the letter to the appropriate person and wow employers by showing you have done your research, for example, Company name has grown to be a market leader in the specific industry over the past year and I would love to be a part of the team. Make sure you individually address each of the criteria listed in the job posting, relating each one back to

4 words to ban from your life and transform your career

4 words to ban from your life and transform your career4 words to ban from your life and transform your careerThere are four simple words that are eroding your life, and stunting your career.Four simple words, seemingly meaningless when uttered, as if they didnt have the power to stop time and kill dreams. They are comfort coma-inducing as they insidiously invade your psyche and innocently usher you down the path of procrastination justification, all the while portraying you to your peers, direct managers, and corporate leaders as disappointed, unfulfilled, and malcontent.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFour simple words Ill be happy when All of us get but just one fleeting whisper of time on this big, juicy, beautiful planet. Why not demand a big, juicy, beautiful life too? The average person lives 27,375 days. Thats 657,000 hours. Why not love every one of those hours, whet her you are at work or at play?Ill be happy when I clock out.Ill be happy when Im on vacation.Ill be happy when I get that promotion.What on earth are you waiting for?In even considering these words, you hand over your power and your happiness to forces outside of your control. You show those around you that youd rather be anywhere but where you are, working with anyone but your current teammates, and working on any project than the one right in front of you, the one which might mean nothing to you, but certainly does to others. You might as well piste a sign around your neck that says, Thank you, next.If your work isnt helping you live the life you want to live, then you need to find yourself different work work that contributes to what matters to you. It should reflect the values you wish to live or the lifestyle youd like to afford. It should help you build your career. It should help you manifest your values. It should have a purpose for you.In praise of ambitionNow, dont get m e wrong. Im not saying that you shouldnt be ambitious and dream big dreams. Its just the opposite. Im a firm believer in ambition, a word that has gotten a bad rap of late. Part of the reason weve lost ownership of our unspoken dreams is that weve been persuaded to allow our ambition to be subsumed into something that is more socially acceptable faux humility. We dont speak aloud our ambition of tomorrow, so we silently stew in the unhappiness of today.Think for a moment about why youll be happy when Why do you want to get ahead? What do you want to do with that power? Do you want to change your family, your community, your country, your world? Do you want to make a mark, large or small, on this earth? What kind of life do you want to live? How do you want to raise your family? Do you want to give back? Will an elevated position, an increased salary, and a voice of leadership help you do this? Of course it will. And that makes it no longer just your ambition, but your responsibility .Figuring out what mattersFor your work to matter for you to be happy now and not when it needs to be attached to something that actually matters to you. There is no day in the week called someday so stop waiting for it to roll around on the calendar. Instead, decide what matters to you now.In buchen to figure out what matters to you, youll need to stop listening to everyone elses version of what matters to them. All that does is put you on a treadmill that speeds up, faster and faster, but gets you nowhere. And, thats because the problem isnt how we achieve success, its how we define success. We can work endlessly, filing all the right check boxes of generally accepted, externally defined success, but still feel empty. We still feel limited.And heres why You cant be insatiably hungry, or deeply inspired, or happily fulfilled by someone elses goals. In order for your working life to feel right for you, it has to actually be right for you. So, heres what that means for you Being li mitless comes not from achieving externally defined success, but achieving consonance, where what you do matches who you are (or want to be).That requires doing something different. The first step in throwing off the shackles of everyone elses expectations and becoming limitless is to ignore everyone elses definitions of success and create your own, owning how much importance you place on, and from where you derive, the four elements of calling, connection, contribution, and control.Calling is a gravitational pull towards a goal larger than yourself- a business you want to build, a leader who inspires you, a societal ill you wish to remedy, a family you want to grow, a cause you wish to serve.Connection gives you sightlines into how your everyday work (whether paid or unpaid) serves that calling by solving the problem at hand, growing the companys bottom line, or reaching that goal.Contribution is an understanding of how this job, this brand, this paycheck contributes to the communi ty you want to belong, the person you want to be, or the lifestyle youd like to live.Control reflects how you are able to influence your connection to that calling in order to have some say in the assignment of projects, deadlines, colleagues, clients, or other use of your time offer input into shared goals and do work that contributes to your family or career trajectory and earnings.To figure that out, Ive created a short quiz that will build a framework for you to follow to find and conquer your own version of consonance, determining how much calling, connection, contribution, and control you have and you want so that the what you do matches the who you are.Heres the good news there are no wrong answers. The only right answer is the right answer for you. And the only one who gets a vote in figuring that out is - you guessed it - also you.Laura Gassner Otting is the author of Limitless How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life. Want to live a limitless life? Take her quick quiz at LimitlessAssessment.comto see whats holding you back, and what you can do about it.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Career lessons from legendary game show hosts

Career lessons from legendary game show hostsCareer lessons from legendary game show hostsLast year Game Changers, a documentary on game shows (hosted by none other than Jeopardy host Alex Trebek), highlighted our love and fascination with the TV mainstay and its sometimes-colorful past.In the spirit of those of us who love game shows, here are some career lessons to be learned from game show hostsMake your side hustle matterBack in the 1960s, Bob Eubanks who is best known for hosting The Newlywed Game was active in the music business. He mortgaged his home to raise funds to bring The Beatles to California for their initial appearance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964 and 1965. Eubanks produced concerts for The Rolling Stones during their early tours and was also a producer for The Supremes, Bob Dylan, Elton John, and Barry Manilow. Oh, and he was Dolly Partons agent for a couple of years.Game show host career lesson learnedJust because youre good at one thing, doesnt mean you cant be gr eat at something else as well. Another game show host, Vanna White, is known for crocheting beautiful afghan blankets. White has a long-standing partnership with Lion Brand Yarn, specifically Vannas Choice Yarn.Be happy for the success of othersSpeaking of Vanna White, her co-host on Wheel of Fortune Pat Sajak is known on and off-camera as being the quintessential nice guy. Sajak seems genuinely thrilled when contestants on the show win big and crushed when they dont.Game show host career lesson learnedIt can be tempting to be so focused on crushing the competition that you forget to celebrate the success of deserving colleagues and friends. It wont diminish your own best moments if you remember to be happy for others.Your work could inspire people in unexpected waysAs the host of Lets Make a Deal, the late Monty nachhall would tease contestants faced with the dilemma of choosing an object behind an unmarked door. Hall would tantalize contestants with the allure of winning a car or valuable trip and tease them that they might just win a booby prize instead. Straightforward classic TV, right? Totally. But according to the Encyclopedia of Math, it also inspired a statistical puzzle known as the Monty Hall problem or Monty Hall paradox introduced by biostatistician Steve Selvin in 1975 in a letter to the journal The American Statistician.Game show host career lesson learnedJust because youre really good at one thing doesnt mean youll be stuck in that niche forever. Hall was a brilliant man who happened to be best at hosting TV game shows. But his particular brand of logic both inspired and entertained others.Take your time or notIn the documentary, its revealed that prolific game show creator Merv Griffin - who is credited with inventing both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy - created the iconic Jeopardy theme heard in the Final Jeopardy round in just 90 seconds while sitting at Marlon Brandos old piano.Game show host career lesson learnedWhen youre really good a t something or have enough experience to know your strengths, it shows. While Griffin created some of televisions most iconic and enduring shows and spent years doing just that, he was confident that in under two minutes hed created something worth sharing. Dont spend extra time on a project or speech if you already know that its great. Go on to the next thing confident in your talent.Give credit where credit is dueYou may have noticed that in the above point I wrote that Griffin is credited with inventing Jeopardy Thats true. But it wasnt entirely his idea. According to a Wikipedia article on Griffin, it was actually his wife Julann who came up with the shows iconic answer then question format. In an AP profile released before the show launched in 1964, Griffin said I was mulling over game show ideas when she noted that there had not been a successful question and answer game on the air since the quiz show scandals. Why not do a switch and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question.Game show host career lesson learnedYou may be the best at what you do, but chances are very good that you didnt do everything on your own. Sharing the credit doesnt just encourage good feelings within your team, it also encourages people to share their best work and ideas knowing theyll be properly acknowledged for it.

What you bring is what you get

What you bring is what you getWhat you bring is what you getI thought the gruppe retreat welches going great until the CEO left the room. We were halfway through the session. The team was finally opening up. I just cracked the code.?- ?I was thinking to myself.But, I was wrong.Our behavior reflects on others.Like an acute sounding board, ur brain internally echoes what others do and feel. Just by looking at someone we experience them,research shows.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreA team or organizational transformation is a reflection of ur own partal transformation. If we want others to be courageous, we must first give our very best.So, what really happened with this CEO?What You Reflect Comes Back toYouDriving change requires people to become comfortable with being uncomfortable?- ?and it starts with us.I didnt launch myconsultancyfor financial independence reasons?- ?I wante dspiritual freedom. After 20 plus years of consulting, I needed a clean slate. Unlike regular consultants, I wanted to experiment freely.Freedom meant choosing the clients I want to work with or leid. But, also exposing myself more than usual.Those who have worked with me know that Im not shy.Im comfortable speaking up my mind?- ?I love to challenge and be challenged. However, something was missing. My employers expected me to tell clients what they wanted to hear?- ?not for me to be authentic.That didnt stop me from speaking up. But, I wasnt giving my best self. I wasnt happy with I was reflecting on others either.Authenticity can become invisible to us but not to others.Our brains are wired to read cues so subtle that, even when we dont consciously register them, our bodies respond.Someones smile activates our own smile muscles in our faces. According toresearch, we internally register what that person is feeling. As a consequence, if their smile is fake, we are more likely to fee l uncomfortable.What we give reflects on othersA woman realized that she was doing an MBA not because she wanted to, but to please her husband. That same night she called him and let him know she was dropping out. The workshop had nothing to do with career change, but the experience still touched her.Another participant decided she didnt want to be miss nice anymore. People were taking advantage of her. This young woman wasnt planning to go rogue. She just wanted to take care of her dreams?- ?to become a priority. This happened after she finished writingher obituary.Did my facilitation or exercises help them see the light? Probably. But, something more important happened.Empathy makes us visible to others.When someone is upset but suppresses their feelings, we may not realize that they are angry. However,a studyshows that even if unnoticed, their gemeindewiese can increase our blood pressure.When we bring our best self to every moment, we inspire others to be authentic too.Empathy i s thestrongest superpowera change agent can have. Its not about being pitiful, but understanding. It helps us appreciate other peoples ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. We get to see their uniqueness.What Bends, DoesntBreakDriving change requires rebel leaders.When we think of rebels, we think of trouble. But, true rebels dont break things out of joy but to find the way out. They know how to break the habits that hold us back. Rebels challenge groupthink and routines.Being vulnerable is a form of rebellion.Rebels ask questions others dont?- ?they look at a problem from multiple perspectives. They dont pretend to have all the answers. They are okay with looking ignorant or making mistakes. Finding new solutions requires emptying our minds first.We have a fixed idea of rebels in the business world. Take Steve Jobs, for example. We often think of rebels as creative, but also difficult to work with. Its time to shift our thinking.As Francesca Gino said,To be a rebel does not mean you have to be an outcast or a troublemaker. Effective rebels are people who break rules in ways that are positive and productive.The author ofRebel Talentbelieves that we dont have to be born a rebel?- ?we can all become one.Leaders are often taught to keep a distance and project a perfect image. To look flawless, confident, and in control. Disclosing ones vulnerability in front of our coworkers is perceived as an act of weakness.Rebels are courageous because they are comfortable being vulnerable.The CEO who left the room wasnt unhappy with the team offsite. She just wasnt comfortable in her own skin. Her team was opening up, but she couldnt. She felt naked. And left.I thought I lost a client for good. Until, a couple of weeks later, she called me to share her progress?- ?she decided to open up. It wasnt easy though. But, she took the courage and got back in front of her team. She asked for forgiveness.Acknowledging why she left the team retreat while everyone else was playing alon g requires courage. It was a first step to embrace her vulnerable side. She realized thatbendingwasnt a weakness, but a strength.As Confucius said, The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.Vulnerability doesnt mean being weak but accepting we have flaws and weaknesses. When you recognize you are not perfect, you keep the door open. Thats how you grow.Being vulnerable is letting ourselves be seen?- ?our true self becomes an inspiration to others.Being Vulnerable Is a ResponsibilityPeople can tell when we are not genuine.Asresearchby the University of Wisconsin shows, while we may try to look perfect or in charge, we might also be perceived as inauthentic. Trust is not easy to build?- ?it requires courage.Being vulnerable doesnt mean being weak. Not everyone is ready to accept and acknowledge their weaknesses. But, thats the price you pay to liberate your best self.Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.?- ?Bren BrownLeading change is a mission full of responsibilities. You are accountable for what you reflect on your team, your organization, and yourself.1. Vulnerability inspiresteamsVulnerability emerged as the key theme from anin-depth studyof successful CEOs. Especially for those who experienced remarkable personal growth and professional success in their businesses.Adaptability to change requires bending without breakingAfter receiving harsh feedback, one of the CEOs chose to be vulnerable. He recognized he was too harsh and harming the team. After sharing his personal plan to his top 60 managers, he generated huge personal support.The team was so inspired that the company outperformed its competitors six years in a row.Driving change is not difficult resistancemakes it difficult. We need the face our fears head-on. And deal with we cant anticipate or control.2. A vulnerable culture seeds trust and innovationThe CEO of a large telco told me that he thought he knew his team very well. U ntil I asked them to share the last time they laughed, felt love, cried, lied, stole something, and thought about suicide.Disclosing our vulnerability in front of our coworkers gives others permission to give their best.This executive team has been working together for almost a decade. But never felt so comfortable sharing their mistakes before. Feeling exposed strengthened their relationships. Embracing everyones vulnerability made it feelsafer to speak up.Organizations are not initially open to embracing authenticity. They are okay when we talk about innovation, creativity, and change. But, vulnerability makes everyone uncomfortable. However, teams cant experiment without frailty and empathy.As Bren Brown explains, vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.Adaptability to change is all about being vulnerable. Fresh ideas are fragile?- ?they need a safe space to blossom.3. Vulnerability liberates the best version of ourselvesOne of the best compliments I ve ever received had nothing to do with my smarts, ideas, or skills. It was all about what I reflected on others. Thats what drove me to write this post.He is not asking us to do anything he hasnt done himself first, one participant shared with the rest. We were wrapping up a very demanding workshop. This person saw my vulnerable self and felt inspired to leave his comfort zone too.We are told that leaders shouldnt ask people to do something they wouldnt do themselves. That sounds tricky to me. Leaders are in a more comfortable position. What seems difficult for others, might not be that hard for them.Leaders must feel as uncomfortable as their teams do.As a change facilitator, I like to keep that present. Each person is fighting a different battle?- ?discomfort is a personal experience. I want to inspire people to become their best version, not to stretch as far as I would.Vulnerability creates accountability. It makes us responsible for bringing the best out of our teams, organiza tions, and ourselves.We are all good at expecting something from others. We want our leaders, coworkers or family to give more. But, what about ourselves?Empathy and vulnerability are catalysts for change. Our human frailty is more inspirational than any perfect image. What we reflect on others always comes back to us.Are you vulnerable and genuine? People always find out in the end. Give your best self.Im a change instigator helping people and organizations createpositive change. I advise, write, and speak on team development and culture transformation. Receive myweekly insightsor follow me onLinkedIn.This article first appeared on Medium .You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people