Risky Business: Why Leaders Must Develop a Disruptive Mindset

Description

To position an organization for growth, you cannot shy away from disruptive, high-stakes, pivotal decisions about the future. So why DO you? Why do so many smart leaders cringe when they face disruption? Most people think of disruption as negative while some leaders make disruption their goal. Organizational Psychologist Dr. Linda Henman considers both approaches preventable and costly mistakes. The surprising truth about improving anything you do―personally, professionally, publicly, or privately―lies at the intersection of your ability to think abstractly and your willingness to take prudent risks. Drawing on a rich trove of original, cutting-edge research and four decades’ worth of consulting, Henman knows what it takes to succeed in the C-suite. She dispels myths by presenting a clear and compelling summary of what she has observed―and in many cases, helped to create. Her in-the-trenches experiences spurred her to arrive at this conclusion: Myths about leadership have blinded us to what leaders really do. Many leaders believe in the concept of creative disruption but remain skeptical about trusting it. Jam-packed with big ideas, Risky Business arrives just in time―a rare book that will transform the way you think about risk, change the way you view disruption, and help you understand what you must do to think strategically, to grow dramatically, and to do it quickly. Inspiring and revelatory, filled with story-driven narratives and practical takeaways, Risky Business brings together decades of counterintuitive research to shed light on how you can effect change. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of contents Foreword Introduction 1 The Disruptive Mindset What Does “Mindset” Mean? What Qualifies as a Disruptive Mindset? How Do We Develop a Disruptive Mindset? What about Ambiguity Tolerance? How Self-Awareness Affects Mindset Conclusion 2 Create Disruption or Someone Else Will Isn’t Disruption Bad? Disruptive Growth Well-behaved People Seldom Make History Which Comes First, Behavior or Mindset? Disrupting Silos Makes Sense Conclusion 3 Disruption Is Mandatory Black Swans, Gray Rhinos, and White Elephants The Status Quo Can be Riskier Than Change How to Release Trapped Value Superforecasting How to Disrupt for Growth Conclusion Notes 4 The Influence of Conscious and Unconscious Bias on Risk-Taking How Do We Form Our Beliefs? Beliefs about Ourselves Influence Mindset More Than Any Other Factors Espoused Versus Operational Beliefs WYSIATI: What You See Is All There Is How Habits Influence Beliefs and Vice Versa Conclusion 5 Aptitude Always Outranks Experience Conventional Wisdom Is Neither Conventional Nor Wise How Smart Is Smart Enough? Why Curiosity Matters Cognitive Illusions Interesting but Irrelevant Facts Conclusion Notes 6 Where You Going with That Can of Gas? The Art and Science of Self-Awareness Social Awareness Strategies Happy People Self-Regulate Fear Tolerance The Upside of Unease Conclusion Note 7 The Truth about What Motivates Us to Change Our Mindsets The Motivation Manifesto How Pygmalion Influences Motivation How Does the Environment Affect Motivation? Does a Burning Platform Really Motivate? Accomplishments Give Us Pleasure Conclusion Notes 8 Resilience Is an Offensive Weapon What Is Resilience? The Purpose-Driven Life Pragmatism Psychological Muscle Humor and Light-Heartedness Conclusion Notes 9 Disruption Traps The Failure to Frame Trap The Status Quo Trap The Anchoring Trap The Groupthink Trap The Complexity Trap Conclusion Notes 10 Leading Disruption Also-Ran Leaders Disruptive Leaders Success Is a Lousy Teacher Creating a Disruptive Culture Inspiring Creative Disruption Conclusion Notes Index