The Power of Beliefs

Dear Reader,

Human ingenuity is fascinating, especially when it comes to our inventions that do not physically exist but that we deeply believe in. What teams believe in is no different and it drives behaviour leading to success or failure.

Take gold, for example. For thousands of years, civilizations agreed it had value—not because it was particularly useful but because we collectively believed it was precious. Ancient cultures minted coins, exchanged gold as currency, and even stored it as a symbol of wealth, shaping current day perception of gold’s value. Gold has little intrinsic value, yet our belief in it shaped entire empires.

Similarly, the Dutch East India Company pioneered elements of modern corporate structure, like publicly traded shares and the concept of limited liability, in 17th century Netherlands. The idea of a "corporation" as a separate legal entity exists only in our minds and the agreements we have created. Yet, this imagined structure has become a cornerstone of the global economy. Without it, the modern business landscape would not exist.

Teams are no different. If those on the team do not believe in something bigger than themselves, it is impossible to unlock their performance. Make sure you are building ‘the why’ for your team. It is key to unlocking their intrinsic potential.

What have I been learning?

Our team has been experimenting with Yodli.ai. It is a platform designed to coach users in improving communication and speaking skills. It has personal feedback that is delivered in real time in a non-threatening way to help you with pacing, using less filler words and vocal clarity.

It is clear that AI is already a game changer in learning and development. However, where does it have limitations? Do not let the slick looking interface and impressive real time adaptability fool you. If the underlying model is flawed, you will be learning the wrong thing well!

An example would be the coaching module in Yodli.ai. It gets into ‘the box’ far too much. A better approach is asking questions to generate insights and avoid trying to solve the coachee’s challenge yourself. This is a brain friendly approach that enhances learning and builds critical thinking skills. So, definitely take advantage of what AI has to offer but make sure you are using tools built on a good foundation.

Where have my travels taken me?

I was in Las Vegas for an Alan Weiss workshop in November called the “Spontaneous Session.” It is hard to imagine that a hundred years ago Las Vegas was no more than a dusty railroad stop after previous unsuccessful attempts by the Mormon missionaries to settle the area.

The gaming industry was born in 1931, when gambling was legalized, and fed a steady stream of workers from the nearby Hoover Dam project. The Mafia’s imagination got a foot hold in the 1940s when they saw an opportunity to capitalize and invested heavily in casinos and hotels. Their belief in their vision set Las Vegas on an irreversible trajectory that became what we know it as today.

The Hoover Dam was by far the highlight of the trip (Alan’s course was a close second). For thirty years prior to construction, the dream of taming the river emerged to eliminate catastrophic seasonal floods of surrounding agricultural regions and communities as well as stabilize water supply and to generate electricity.

The scale of the dam is mind-blowing, both as an engineering project and as a reminder of the scale of what we can accomplish when we set our minds to it. It is amazing to think that the construction of the dam itself started with one small concrete form at the base of the dam. To achieve anything we can dream we only need to start with one small step.

What am I reading?

“Your Brain at Work” by David Rock was a book I have been meaning to read for a couple of years after reading “Quiet Leadership.” It explores the science of how our brains function in the workplace and the same holds up for our personal lives (we only have one brain!). The brain’s prefrontal cortex (the brain’s thinking center) is a limited resource and can easily become overwhelmed. By understanding the constraints and techniques to shift our thinking, we can get better at prioritization, aligning work with our periods of peak cognition to enhance productivity.

The way we work is largely a result of the belief in a mechanistic approach to productivity that came from the industrial revolution. It assumes that humans are resources that put in a unit of time and there is a predictable output, like on an assembly line. Our days highly structured, even including the ritualistic trip to and from the office every day (until covid hit for some of us). In large part, this structure allows for monitoring to ensure compliance but with little line of sight on designing work to achieve complex outcomes.

Instead, we need to shift our belief system so that we can practice a new way of working. It needs to work in harmony with our brain’s rhythms and limitations and designing our working environment to unlock our potential. For example, deep work needs to be aligned with peak mental periods, not a regimented 8-5 schedule. This is critical for unlocking creativity, problem solving and innovation. Think about it. Where do your best ideas come from? When you are slogging through hundreds of emails in your inbox? Or when you are out for a walk, taking a shower in the morning or when you’re sleeping?