MOR Insight

Most, dare I say all, of us, don’t do and haven’t done, much thinking about thinking. In fact, we may have never stopped to think about our thinking.
 
So, what is thinking anyway?
 

Ever have the fear that someone is always watching you, just waiting for you to foul-up?
 

… “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” 
     –  Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher from the 6^th century B.C.E.

All journeys, whether they are physical journeys by foot, by car, train, or plane, or journeys of the mind where you work small step by small step to solve a problem, resolve an issue, or explore some new idea, begin from where you are, from the current step you are taking.
 

Today’s Tuesday Reading is an essay by Amanda Winegarden, a Security Risk Analyst in the University Information Security Group at the University of Minnesota. She is a new alumna from the recently graduated MOR Lead From Where You Are Program at the University of Minnesota. Her essay first appeared as a program reflection earlier this year. [Amanda may be reached at <[email protected]>.] 
 
 

For the past two weeks, I’ve been writing about pro-crastination,^1,2 “willingly deferring something though you expect the delay to make you worse off.”³ Pre-crastination is intentionally completing tasks quickly just to get them done sooner, or to get them done so that you no longer have to remember to get them done. Edward Wasserman calls this the “fierce urgency of now.”⁴
 

As I wrote in last week’s Tuesday Reading, “Procrastinators Anonymous: Yes, both I and you are most likely members of this club,”¹ procrastination is “willingly deferring something though you expect the delay to make you worse off.”² I like this definition as it explicitly calls to our minds the fact that procrastination requires a decision to procrastinate and that a cost is always incurred.

… Yes, both I and you are most likely members of this club

Today’s Tuesday Reading is an essay by Mark Katsouros, Director of Voice & Video at the Pennsylvania State University. Mark is an early alumnus of the MOR Leaders Program. His essay first appeared in his blog Mark My Words on September 13, 2018. [Mark may be reached at <[email protected]>.] 

… to Your Smartphone

ad·dic·tion ––  the compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance, thing, or activity.
 
As individuals in today's society we have become addicted to our smartphones. We are at a loss when it isn’t in our hand, on our person, out of sight, etc. And, the research is clear, for all the value that the smart device brings it is also extremely disruptive and often not helpful.
 

Leaders must be men and women who influence others to enable them to become more effective. In her essay Five Principles to Follow If You Want to Influence Others,¹ Amy Glass, writes “No matter your role, influence is key to solving problems and making things happen.