INDEX

A

Act III Communications, 27–28

Adelmann, Pamela, 152

American Idol syndrome, 69

ANEW approach, 29–49. see also aspiration; endless curiosity; neutral self-awareness; willingness to be bad first

benefits of, 128, 148–149

building aspiration in, 162–166

building skills in, 127–157

challenges in, 128

choosing a topic for, 160–161

making it your own, 159–177

Michelangelo’s use of, 29–32

mindset for, 46

relevance of today, 32–35

resources supporting, 176–177

self-assessment for, 46–48

sticking with, 156–157

Angry Birds, 16–19

aspiration, 34, 35–38, 51–66

building, 162–166

changing, 36–37, 52, 56–57

creating, 56–57, 129–130

curiosity compared with, 42

definition of, 35

determining whether or not you have it, 133–134

doing what we don’t want to do and, 53–54

doing what we want to do and, 54–56, 165–166

envisioning benefits from, 56–57, 58–61, 130–131

example of, 57–66

honesty about, 35–36

imagining possible worlds and, 61–66

learning based on, 166

for learning subskills, 132–134

Michelangelo’s, 37–38, 51

not finding, 54–56, 165–166

power of, 64–65

questions/answers about, 129–134

rationalization lack of, 132

real vs. false, 52–54, 131–132

self-assessment of, 46–48

Atherton, James, 14–16

attention, information explosion and, 6

autonomy, desire for, 19, 20

B

baby boomers, 9–10

Being Strategic (Andersen), 62

benefits of change

clarifying, 60–61

envisioning, 37–38, 56–57, 58–61, 162–165

focusing on, 56–57

personally motivating, 162–163, 165

theoretical vs. real personal, 130–131

boredom, 140–142

brain plasticity, 21–24

Brain Rules (Medina), 23, 92–93

bridging, 44–45, 113, 114–115, 123–126, 173–176

accurate self-assessment and, 123–125

over-, 174–176

C

Candy Crush, 18

career paths, 7–11

Carver, George Washington, 33

Casals, Pablo, 150

change

acceleration of, 8–11

in career paths, 7–11

rate of, 3–8

resistance to novice-ness and, 110–111

choice, 8

aspiration and, 54–56

collaboration, 111–112

communication, 12–13

competence, drive for, 19, 20

resistance to the new and, 24–26

competitive advantage, 11, 25–26

Condivi, Ascanio, 43

connectedness, drive for, 19

context, for sources, 86, 87

Critical Path, The (Fuller), 3–5

Curie, Marie, 33

curiosity, see endless curiosity

acting on, 103–106

aspiration compared with, 42

boredom vs., 140–142

daily practice of, 95, 106–108, 170–171

definition of, 41, 91–92

disinterest/dismissal vs., 101–102, 144–145

as drive, 92–93

emotional satisfaction of, 169

encouraging, 42

endless, 34

example of, 95–98

excessive, 141–142

fake, 141–142

Michelangelo’s, 42–43, 91, 107

questions and answers on, 140–145

regaining, 94–95, 169–171

self-assessment of, 46–48

self-talk and, 95, 99–103

socialization away from, 41–42, 92

sparks for, finding, 94–95, 98–99

staying engaged and, 144–145

D

da Vinci, Leonardo, 33

Deci, Edward, 18–19

de Geus, Arie, 11

dilettantism, 156–157

discomfort, being comfortable with, 2–4

disinterest, 101, 144–145

divergent thinking, 141–142

drives, 92–93

in human motivation, 19

for mastery, 13–28, 109–111

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (Pink), 19

Dunning, David, 67–68

Dweck, Carol, 68–69, 121

E

Einstein, Albert, 33

electronic games, 16–20

embarrassment, 113

emotions

from benefits of change, 162–163

curiosity and, 169

fair witness and, 79–82

fear of looking dumb, 142–144

neutral self-awareness and, 138–139

posture and, 151–153

willingness to be bad first and, 113, 117–118, 146–147

endless curiosity, 24, 91–108. See also ANEW approach

acting on, 103–106

aspiration compared with, 42

boredom vs., 140–142

daily practice of, 95, 106–108, 170–171

definition of, 41, 91–92

disinterest/dismissal vs., 101–102, 144–145

as drive, 92–93

emotional satisfaction of, 169

encouraging, 42

endless, 34

example of, 95–98

excessive, 141–142

fake, 141–142

Michelangelo’s, 42–43, 91, 107

questions and answers on, 140–145

regaining, 94–95, 169–171

self-assessment of, 46–48

self-talk and, 95, 99–103

socialization away from, 41–42, 92

sparks for, finding, 94–95, 98–99

staying engaged and, 144–145

E! network, 73–74

Esquire Network, 73–74

Even This I Get to Experience (Lear), 28

exercise, 130–131

expectations, 2–3

about careers, 7–11

about learning, 7–8

actual vs. expressed, 14–16

fair witnessing and, 40–41

impact of knowledge explosion on, 6–7

of improvement, 44

new ideas and conflicts with, 14–16

self-talk and, 99–101

expertise. see mastery

F

failing forward, 3

failure, 3

fast, 147–149

fear of, 2–3, 112

innovation and, 111–113

fair witness, 38–41, 70–71, 79–82, 138–139. see also neutral self-awareness

aspiration and, 129–130

belief in ability to get good and, 121–122

initial self-assessments and, 167–168

self-talk and, 80–81, 82–83, 122–123

fear

acknowledging, 155

acting and, 156

addressing, 155–156

asking “what’s the worst” about, 155

dealing with, 153–156

of failure, 2–3, 112

of looking dumb, 142–144

feedback. see also sources

accepting, 85

inviting, 87

neutral self-awareness and, 134–138

providing context for, 87

saying thank you for, 86, 88–90

Financial Times, 13–14

fixed mindset, 68–69, 121, 166–167

fluidity, shift from stability to, 7–11

focus

on benefits of change, 37–38, 56–57, 61–66

on obstacles, 62

frustration, 43, 128

Fuller, Buckminster, 3–7

G

Galileo Galilei, 33

Ghirlandaio, 30, 67

GlobalHue, 57

Goncalo, Jack, 14

Growing Great Employees (Andersen), 88

growth mindset, 68–69

H

habits of mind/action, 3–4

Hammer, Bonnie, 71

Harter, Eric, 89–90

health services company CEOs, 89–90

Heinlein, Robert, 79

hobbies, 94–95

honesty

about your aspirations, 35–36

in feedback from sources, 40, 84–85, 86–90

setting the stage for, 86–90

I

ideas, our conflicted relationship with, 14–16

identity, mastery and, 110

information explosion, 5–8

innovation, 12–13

curiosity and, 41–43

our conflicted relationship with, 14–16

willingness to be bad and, 111–113

J

Jobs, Steve, 33

Julius II, Pope, 29–30

K

knowledge

Internet dissemination of, 12–13

proliferation of, 3–8

knowledge-doubling curve, 3–7

L

Lake Wobegon effect, 67–68

leaders and leadership, core traits of, 33–34

Leading So People Will Follow (Andersen), 33–34, 88

Lear, Norman, 27–28, 33, 42

learning

aspiration in, 35–38

bridging in, 44–45, 114–115, 173–176

change requiring, 3–8

changing expectations about, 7–8

choosing a topic for, 160–161

as competitive advantage, 11–13

conflicted feelings about, 14–16

corporate, ineffectiveness of, 13–14

curiosity as motivation in, 43

dilettantism and, 156–157

envisioning benefits from, 37–38, 56–57

Internet and, 12–13

lifelong ability for, 21–24

Michelangelo’s approach to, 29–32

necessity of, 25–26, 56

neutral self-awareness and, 38–41

opportunities, selecting, 48–49

resistance to, 1–3, 54–56

resistance to being a novice and, 13–16, 24–26

self-assessment for, 69–71

staying with the tried and true vs., 54–56

sticking with, 156–157

Liggins, Alfred, 57

L’Indaco, 31, 109

Lindbergh, Charles, 6

listening, 143–144

to sources, 85, 86, 87–88

M

Marshmallow Challenge, 111–112

mastery, 127–157. see also ANEW approach

acceptance of novice state and, 26–28, 44

being blinded by, 25–26

curiosity and, 41–42, 100–101

the drive for, 13–28, 16–28, 109–111

four skills of, 34

lifelong ability for new, 21–24

positive feelings from, 19–20

survival and, 20–21

video games and, 16–19

Maxwell, John, 3

McArdle, Megan, 112

Medina, John, 23, 92–93

Melwani, Shimul, 14

mental energy, 113

Michelangelo, 29–32

aspiration of, 37–38, 51

curiosity of, 42–43, 91, 107

learning mindset of, 46

neutral self-awareness of, 40–41, 67

Vatican frescoes of Saints Paul and Peter, 159–160

willingness of to be bad first, 45, 109, 113

millennials, 10–11

mindset. see also ANEW approach

fixed vs. growth, 68–69, 121, 166–167

for learning, 46

Mindset (Dweck), 68–69

momentum, 41

Monroe, Courteney, 115–117, 119–120

motivation

aspiration and, 35–38, 42

curiosity in, 41–43

discovering you, 58–61

envisioning benefits of change and, 56–57

mastery as, 19–20

theory of human, 18–19

Mueller, Jennifer, 14

N

National Geographic Channels US, 115–117

NBC News, 95–98

NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group, 71–74

neutral self-awareness, 34, 38–41

American Idol syndrome and, 69

aspiration and, 58–61

building, 166–169

challenges in, 67–69

of current capability vs. potential, 134–136

definition of, 38

example of, 71–74

fair witness in, 70–71, 79–82

fixed vs. growth mindset and, 68–69

importance of, 69–70

increasing, 70–71

initial skill assessment and, 136–137

of likes/dislikes, 58–61

Michelangelo’s, 40–41, 67

performance impact of, 89–90

playing to strengths and, 149

questions and answers on, 134–139

self-assessment of, 46–48

self-talk in, 70–71, 74–78, 82–83

sources for, 84–90

novice state

accepting, 43–45

children’s acceptance of, 111–113

discomfort with, 14–16, 108

experiencing over and over, 26–28

resistance to, 13–16, 43

in video games, 18–19

O

obstacles, focusing on, 62

Olsen, Ken, 26

$100 MBA Show, The (Zenhom), 130

One Solution, 57–66

P

People for the American Way, 27

perseverance, 43

Pink, Daniel, 19

Pisano, Christine de, 33

podcasts, 129–130

posture, 151–153

practice

of being bad, 146–147

of curiosity, 95, 106–108, 170–171

of self-talk, 75, 77–78, 105, 120

proteusleader.com, 176

Przybylski, Andrew, 19–20

public speaking, 153

purpose, desire for, 19

R

Radio One, 57–66

Reiner, Rob, 27

resistance

awareness of, 55–56

to being a novice, 13–16, 24–26, 108

to learning, 1–354–56

retirement, 11

Royal Dutch Shell, 11

Ryan, Richard, 18–19

S

Samuels, Detavio, 57–66

Seinfeld, Jerry, 153

self-assessment, 46–48

self-awareness. see neutral self-awareness

self-determination theory, 18–19, 20

self-perception. see neutral self-awareness

self-talk, 39–40, 44

about ability to get good, 121–122

acceptance of being not-good and, 117–120

action and, 103–106

assessment of, 122–123

balanced, creating, 121–123

curiosity and, 95, 99–103, 140–141, 144–145, 170

for fair witnessing, 80–82

fear of looking dumb and, 143–144

fixed mindset, 166–167

listening to sources and, 88

managing, 70–71, 74–78, 151–153

in neutral self-awareness, 70–71, 74–78, 135–136

posture and, 151–153

recognizing, 75–76, 105

recording, 75, 76–77, 105

repeating, 75, 77–78, 105

rethinking, 75, 77, 105

secondary, 82–83

self-belief, 114, 166–167

as self-fulfilling prophecy, 119

socialization of, 99–100

stuck, 151–153

willingness to be bad first and, 114, 117–123, 121–122, 137–138, 171–173

Shelton, Rusty, 129–130

Sistine Chapel, 29–32, 35, 37–38, 45

Skillman, Peter, 111–112

skills, bridging based on current, 44–45

socialization

curiosity and, 41–42, 92

of self-talk, 99–100

social media, 12, 19–20

Social Security, 11

sources, 40, 70–71, 84–90, 168

accepting feedback from, 85

context for, 86, 87

expertise of, 136–137

inviting and reassuring, 86, 87

listening to, 86, 87–88

qualities of good, 84–85

selecting, 85

thanking, 86, 88–90

sparks, curiosity, 94–95, 98–99

stability, shift away from, 7–11

status transactions, 112

Stotsky, Adam, 71–74

St. Peter’s Basilica, 159–160

Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlein), 79

strengths and weaknesses

as limitation to learning, 149

neutral self-awareness of, 38–41

self-talk about, 80–82

sources for assessment of, 40

success

choosing key elements of, 63–64

describing how it looks and feels, 63

picking a time frame for, 62

Super Mario, 20

T

thanking sources, 86, 88–90

This Is Spinal Tap, 27

time frame for success, 62

Torni, Jacopo, 31, 109

trial and error, 2–3

Turness, Deborah, 95–98

U

Up Side of Down, The: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success (McArdle), 112

V

Vesta Technology Solutions, 89–90

video games, 16–20

vision

aspiration and, 37–38, 56–57, 61–66, 129–130, 162–165

describing success in, 63

focusing on obstacles in, 62

imagining yourself in, 63

picking a time frame for, 62

selecting key elements in, 63–64

W

well-being, sense of, 20

West, Mollie, 35

Wikipedia, 11

willingness to be bad first, 34, 43–45. see also novice state

acceptance of being not-good and, 113, 114, 117–120

belief in ability to improve and, 44, 113, 114, 121–122

bridging learning and, 113, 114–115, 123–126, 173–176

building, 171–176

in children, 111–113

developing, 110–115

dilettantism and, 156–157

discomfort with, 108, 109–111

emotional obstacles to, 113, 117–118, 146–147

example of, 115–117

failing fast compared with, 147–149

Michelangelo’s, 45, 109, 113

neutral self-awareness and, 137–138

ongoing, 150

playing to strengths vs., 149

questions and answers on, 145–150

self-assessment of, 46–48

self-talk and, 114, 117–123, 137–138, 171–173

tools for, 43–45

in your job, 145–146

Z

Zajonc, Robert, 152

Zenhom, Omar, 130