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Archive for the ‘Super Achiever’ Category
Friday, June 18th, 2010
In “Don’t Bring It to Work” I discuss the 13 behavior patterns that follow us from our original organization, the family into our work organization.
The BIG, I mean BIG question is “Why do we keep doing the same things over and over and over and over and over“?
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Tags: Avoider, Denier, Don't Bring It to Work, Family, Jon Stewart, Leaders, Observe, Organization, OUT Techinque, Pattern Spill, Patterns, Pleaser, Procrastinator, Transform, Understand, Workplace
Posted in Accountability, Avoider, Behavorial Patterns, Boss, Business, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Conflict resolution, Creative Energy Options, Economy, Education, Environment, Ethics, Executive Coaching, Executive Education, Executive Teams, Family, History, Innovative, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Leadership Development Programs, Media, PatternAware, Patterns, Politics, Splitter, Super Achiever, The media, Total Leadership Connections, Transformation, Trust, Truth, Victim, Workplace Relationships | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
 The following video has gone viral and is lots of fun to watch. It teaches some good lessons about the “first follower” as a leader. These early adapters are visionaries in their own right, and help make a movement happen.
In the video, we are talking about dancing at the beach: lots of fun and freedom and spontaneity. I would like to present a question and would love responses from all who are thinking about the ethics of followership.
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Tags: Arts, Bizarre, Dancing Guy, Dancing on the beach, Ethics, Follow the leader?, Health, Humor, Philosophy, Polarization, Recreation, Sound bite, TED conference
Posted in Accountability, Avoider, Boss, Business, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Cultural Diversity, Diversity, Economy, Education, Employers, Ethics, Family, Health, History, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Management, Marital coaching, Media, Neuroscience, PatternAware, Patterns, Psychology, Reflections, Super Achiever, Team Building, The media, default | 4 Comments »
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
I am so delighted to introduce you to my new blog “Elegant Leadership” that will be posted at http://blog.ceoptions.com/ after the New Year. Since I love to write I will have a more personal blog at www.sylvialafair.com to include thoughts and ideas about relationships, health, and education, as well as business.
Elegant Leadership will include all my newest research concerning leadership. I will suggest the best books, articles, and unique individuals I can find to help you on the difficult daily journey of being the best leader you can be.
Why did I choose the title “elegant leadership”? I honestly think it chose me. I woke up with the term, like a drum beat, repeating over and over in my head. Maybe I had a dream about it, not sure. All I know is, I love the word “elegant” as it is used in scientific realms. In nature elegant signifies finding the simplest and most precise way of responding.
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Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Book, Family-Based Patterns, Fear, Health, History, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Management, Media, Money, neuropsychology, Neuroscience, Politics, Power, Psychology, Relationships, Resilience, Stress, Super Achiever, Team Building
Posted in Accountability, Boss, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Diversity, Economy, Ethics, Executive Teams, Fear, Health, History, Holiday, Honor, Human Resources, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Management, Marital coaching, Media, Money, Neuroscience, PatternAware, Politics, Power, Psychology, Reflections, Super Achiever, Team Building, The media, Uncategorized, Workplace Relationships | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Are leaders measured by different standards than the rest of us? If not, they should be! They are the ones who set the standards of what matters at work, or in society, and if they are in the “Follow me, I know the best way to go” mode, then we really need to ask and understand what and why we should follow.
It is time to evaluate our teachers, our politicians, our gurus by standards that show they live what they teach. However, are sports stars or media moguls in the same classification? They are great at letting us know the best way to swing a bat, make a basket, run a race or what to wear to be hip and in. That is a far different cry than how to live a life.
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Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Coaching, Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Family-Based Patterns, Fear, Health, Relationships, Role model, Super Achiever, Team Building
Posted in Accountability, Coaching, Consulting, Education, Employers, Ethics, Executive Teams, Fear, Health, Leaders, Leadership, Marital coaching, PatternAware, Patterns, Psychology, Reflections, Super Achiever, Workplace Relationships | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Lots of buzz about Tiger Woods and a party girl is coming to the surface after the car crash on Thanksgiving. What does it mean to you and to me? Does it really matter if he is having an affair? Does it matter that he won’t talk to the police? Does it matter that Nike is standing by their guy?
All of this will swirl for a week or two and then fall into that mysterious void where old stories go as new ones emerge. One thing we know is that Tiger is a great golf player. Beyond that what are his virtues? Have we ever voted for him to be an exemplary leader? Do we really all want our kids to be like him? Is it all about money and recognition?
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Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Ethics, Family-Based Patterns, Leadership, leadership programs, pattern aware, Positive role models, Power
Posted in Accountability, Coaching, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Ethics, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Marital coaching, Media, PatternAware, Patterns, Super Achiever, Team Building, The media, Workplace Relationships | 3 Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
 I am one who tracks patterns rather than tornadoes. Actually they are not that different. One is a force of nature that can be traced and has many attributes that are predictable. It can be called the perfect storm. Behavior patterns also can be traced and if one looks closely there are predictable aspects that also cause perfect storms.
Recently I was talking with a colleague about how bad behavior at work seems to be coming to the surface faster and faster. We were looking at the super achiever pattern and how so many folks who need to be front and center are willing to step on or over anyone to get to the top. He mentioned a colleague who was,” like a tornado” and left lots of destruction in his path.
Until recently this guy was like the typical “teflon man” who got away with his “behind the scenes maneuvering”. Then others began to track his behavior and it became obvious that he would create a swirling storm upending relationships and careers and he was the only one who seemed able to stand steady with no collateral damage. That is, until now.
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Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Business, Communication, Conflict, David Letterman, Ethics, Family-Based Patterns, Fear, John Edwards, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Media, pattern aware, Patterns, Resilience, Stress, Tornado, Transformation
Posted in Accountability, Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Fear, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Media, PatternAware, Patterns, Politics, Power, Super Achiever, Transformation | No Comments »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
There are many of us who learned as children to rant and rave, to make mountains out of molehills, to cry or stomp our feet to get attention. Or, maybe it was not always about wanting attention. Often, in a family the drama queen or king, the persecutor, the super achiever and the martyr are playing their role to keep peace in the family by turning the spotlight front and center on themselves.
In being the center of attention they are often taking the tension from arguing parents or problem siblings where discussing the underlying reasons for the tensions are too uncomfortable. Rather than face the difficulties the loud family member are, in a strange sense, saving the family from itself.
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Tags: Behavioral Patterns, Coaching, Communication, Conflict, family patterns, Family-Based Patterns, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Patterns, Transformation
Posted in Accountability, Coaching, Communication, Conflict, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Management, PatternAware, Patterns, Super Achiever, Transformation | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
 When I conduct one day Pattern Aware Programs at companies the same thing happens over and over. At the lunch break, everyone talks about a boss, co-worker, mother-in-law, ex-partner or neighbor who fits perfectly into the pattern mold. There is always a joke or well chosen barb.
Then in the afternoon comes the hard work of the game we call “owning your pattern”. A bit uncomfortable, yet people still leave with a sense of humor and a lot of humility.
One of the most common patterns in today’s work place, especially as you go up the corporate ladder is the super-achiever. No, I’m not talking about those who strive for excellence and can take a breath and give others room to be in the show. I mean “the must excel at all costs” people.
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Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Ethics, family patterns, Family-Based Patterns, Harvard Business Review, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Management, pattern aware, Patterns, programs, Ralph Lauren
Posted in Accountability, Boss, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Employers, Ethics, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Management, PatternAware, Patterns, Super Achiever, Transformation | 1 Comment »
Friday, July 24th, 2009
 If you ever want to scream and pull your hair out day after day, hang out with procrastinators. They inevitably mess up time schedules and project deadlines and leave an angry mob at the door.
Take Abraham Lincoln who had a Civil war to fight and his Commander in Chief George McClellan. The army guy was unwilling to attack. He was hemming and hawing to the point that a frustrated Lincoln recalled him to Washington saying, “My dear McClellan: If you don’t want to use the army I should like to borrow it for awhile”!
So, why the wait? It usually stems from anxiety about choice. Procrastinators were often children of super achievers who felt they could never, ever measure up to their parents demands. Better to wait it out than to be yelled at and humiliated.
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Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Commander in Chief George McClellan, Communication, Conflict, Fear, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, pattern aware, Patterns, Power, programs, Transformation
Posted in Business, Coaching, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Diversity, Education, Fear, History, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Management, PatternAware, Patterns, Power, Super Achiever, Transformation | 3 Comments »
Friday, June 19th, 2009
When my book “Don’t Bring It to Work” began its journey in March I had no idea how it would be received or if it would be seen as “beautiful”. You know how it is with kids, you just hope and pray and love them, and you never know.
So when friends and family told me it was “wonderful” I thanked them and waited for the neighbors to check in. Also, great comments of appreciation. Then the strangers started to email and some even called. With baited breath I waited. And while most said words of appreciation there were the few who said “Eh”!
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Tags: Behavioral Patterns, Conflict, Fear, Leadership, leadership programs, pattern aware, Stress, Super Achiever, Transformation
Posted in Accountability, Business, Conflict, Ethics, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, PatternAware, Patterns, Politics, Psychology, Reflections, Super Achiever, Transformation | No Comments »
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