Business Category

The human brain defaults to seeing things in an “either/or” framework.  Either that rustling in the underbrush is a threat or it is not.  The person approaching me has hostile intent or they do not.  This proposal is beneficial or it is not.  That framework also shapes the way we evaluate leadership. Our culture tends to treat “leader” as synonymous with “problem solver”.  An effective leader solves problems.  An ineffective leader does not.  This “black and white” view is intuitively satisfying (translation: it lines up with our brain’s default settings)Read More

Parvati Magazine sat down with Kelley Kosow, Master Integrative Life Coach and Chief Executive Officer & Program Leader of The Ford Institute, to obtain her thoughts on leading a business through a major transition and opportunities for personal growth in the workplace. Parvati Magazine: In 2013, Debbie Ford, the founder of the Ford Institute, passed away. You had been chosen by Debbie to continue her work and lead the organization, though this had not been fully communicated to everyone prior to her passing. What was the transitioning experience like? KelleyRead More

“The master accumulates nothing but the more he does for others the greater his existence.” – Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching Do you believe you can effortlessly ride the path to prosperity – living in a state of wealth, balance and ease? Prosperity is not something that can be appropriated – by cleverly acquiring the right resources and deploying them through an intelligent strategy. What we miss is the awareness that in every moment we are in a relationship – certainly with major stakeholders – employees, customers, investors, vendors, communityRead More

Parvati Magazine sat down with speaker, author and coach David Berry, author of “A More Daring Life: Finding Voice at the Crossroads of Change” to obtain his thoughts on business leadership challenges today. Parvati Magazine: What inspired you to write your book? David Berry: It was a project to clarify my thoughts about those elements that have been most important to my own relationship with change. It has become a powerful tool for me to be constantly reminded about the fundamentals of what I aspire to – the critical importanceRead More

“Hurry slowly” – Zen saying Accompanying the information age is the age of anxiety. There are seemingly infinite sources of stress all stemming from things we cannot control. Will we have enough money? How do we ensure we are successful? There is pressure to keep up at our jobs, in our businesses, with our families, friends, hobbies. The great stress and pressure from the need to be a good parent, a good son or daughter, a good sibling, a good friend and the list goes on. Our sense of innerRead More

Carol Dweck, a world-renowned researcher and psychologist from Stanford University, argues that the single quality that separates successful people from unsuccessful people is whether they think their intelligence and abilities are fixed. She refers to people who think their abilities are fixed as having a ‘fixed mindset‘, and those who think they can grow their mindset as having a ‘growth mindset‘. People with a fixed mindset believe that talent and intelligence are static, and that they cannot be changed. They see challenge as a negative thing, instead of a chanceRead More

I was recently reading about how to inspire people to recognize and take action on climate change. One article raised some excellent points about human nature, and why we respond to certain prompts and not to others. This inspired me to consider the take-aways for businesses when it comes to working with human nature. Here are five strategies to help you meet the challenges of starting and running a successful business that is ecologically responsible. Get past denial. Few newlyweds think they have a 50% chance of divorcing, but thoseRead More

The popular phrase “nice guys finish last” leaks its way into the world of business. Those who are determined not to be left at the bottom of the hiring ladder, too often believe that they need to be aggressive, even cutthroat, to get their way and move ahead in their careers. Leaving a wake of damage along their path, these people may move up the row of corporate hierarchy, but at a cost far too high to provide any lasting happiness. Then there are those who have given up onRead More

Sometimes the stakes when making mistakes are large and can result in losing money, customers or valuable employees. The humility in admitting the error develops both personal and what I call “corporate empathy”. Outside of the not for profit sector, corporate empathy is not yet a variable that is part of a company’s ethos. When it does start to become in vogue, hopefully it will be understood to be congruous with profitability.Read More

Regardless of whether we choose to inflict, avoid or engage in conflict, it is inevitable that it will happen at work. Being able to resolve conflict is part of true leadership. Here are seven steps to resolving work conflict.Read More