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Articles from Gary Jordan | Selfgrowth.com
- Leadership – It’s Not Always Immediately Obvious - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2012 from Gary JordanCollaborative Leadership: of the six different leadership profiles described in Leadership Strengths Profiles, this is the one most commonly misunderstood. This is not surprising as the hallmarks of Collaborative Leadership, subtlety, refinement, nuance, elegance, and unobtrusiveness are the ...
Views: 962(1 vote) - Shared Perception: The Ongoing Shift - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2012 from Gary JordanUsually when I sit down to write an article, it is to highlight the ways perception differs from person to person and how that difference causes communication problems and conflicts. These differences are, after all, at the heart of what I am most passionate about professionally. Recently, ...
Views: 683 - Your Gifts and Moments of Grace - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2012 from Gary JordanWhen you’re lucky enough to experience a rare occurrence where your natural gifts and skills lend themselves to a moment of grace, you experience a profound change. It can feel mysterious and awesome all at the same time. The key is to discover and nurture your natural gifts and skills so you ...
Views: 903 - Success Psychology: The Freedom to Be Yourself - by Submitted on May 08, 2012 from Gary JordanWhen I began my career as a psychologist, I was twenty-five years old, having completed my doctoral degree after twenty-two straight years of schooling (pre-K through to my Ph.D.). To say that I was a bit arrogant is probably understating the issue – I was convinced that I could “fix” any issue ...
Views: 1336 - Jack of All Trades, Master of None: Why Specialists Are Happier (and More Successful) - by Submitted on Apr 20, 2012 from Gary JordanHuman beings have a difficult time with the idea of limitations. We don’t want to be told there are things we cannot do, which is why we hold stubbornly to the idea that “if we really put our minds to it,” there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. Over my years as a psychologist and coach, I have ...
Views: 908 - The Self-Improvement Myth: 9 Reasons We Don’t Know How to Develop Our Strengths - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2012 from Gary JordanWhat do you do when you’re confronted with something you’re not good at? Some people get discouraged and quit. Others keep doggedly working to get better at it, and in the process become more “well-rounded” human beings. Conventional wisdom says that the second response is the healthy ...
Views: 659 - Psychology and Success: The Magic of Your Talent Advantage - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2012 from Gary JordanAs one of the originators of a psychological assessment program (Your Talent Advantage), I’m often asked this question: How can an assessment that fits people into a finite number of “types” claim to reveal what’s truly unique about us? It is a valid question, and one that I have pondered at ...
Views: 833 - The Benefit of the Doubt: How Perception Can Make All the Difference - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2012 from Gary JordanI receive a lot of interesting and entertaining emails from friends of mine. Some I delete, and others I pass along. Every now and then, I get one that contains important public service information that should be passed along to everyone. One such email I received contained the following ...
Views: 769 - Strengths-Based Coaching: Creating Real Impact for Clients - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2012 from Gary JordanWhy did you get into coaching? One of the most likely reasons is that you wanted to have a real, positive and lasting impact on the lives of your clients. Unfortunately, many of the approaches that coaches currently use in their work don’t have this kind of lasting effect, for the simple ...
Views: 1043 - Psychological Style Theories: What They Are, and Why They Matter - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2012 from Gary JordanWe all know that different people see the world differently. Sometimes we find those differences appealing. At other times, the differences between ourselves and others are an irritating source of conflict. But rarely, in either case, do we take the time to understand just what it is that ...
Views: 755 - Teamwork and Psychology: Insights from 30+ Years of Business Coaching - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2012 from Gary JordanWhat does it take for 800 people to work together on a project with minimum friction? Back in 1983, that’s exactly what my partner Lynda-Ross and I aimed to figure out. When I fist met Lynda-Ross, she was managing a very large multi-year systems development project for a major corporation, ...
Views: 670 - The Entrepreneur’s Journey: Finding Your Place in the World - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2012 from Gary JordanIt sounds easy – knowing who you are. It should be a given, right? Knowing and understanding who you are is a lifetime process that begins in childhood, on the playground, when you begin the process of learning just where you fit in. But where you fit in as an entrepreneur is a whole different ...
Views: 615 - Working Hand-in-Hand: The Importance of People in Your Business - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2011 from Gary JordanIt seems to go without saying – people are the most important part of any business. Their strengths, their contributions, their ideas, are essential. But working with those strengths, recognizing those contributions and ideas, isn’t always easy. Every person is different, but when it comes to ...
Views: 1090 - Psychology and Leadership: Flow and Goals - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2011 from Gary JordanIn previous articles about the Perceptual Styles Theory and leadership, we examined the five qualities of effective leaders, regardless of Perceptual Style. Now, we’ll look at the unique leadership qualities of each specific Perceptual Style, along with some real world examples of each.* The ...
Views: 834 - Perceptual Style, Psychology, and Leadership - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2011 from Gary JordanLeadership as a reciprocal relationship in which one person points in a direction and others follow. Below, we have outlined five qualities of effective leaders. Those qualities are: 1. Their behaviors build on their natural strengths. 2. They are aware of their limitations, and seek input ...
Views: 2273(1 vote) - Finding Your Marketing Comfort Zone - by Submitted on May 24, 2011 from Gary JordanSo, you’ve got something to say that you think others will find valuable. You’ve created an information based product and coaching services to enhance and optimize its value. And people are knocking down your doors to buy! Unfortunately, while the first part may be true, without a lot of ...
Views: 698 - Introverts and Extraverts: They Aren’t What You Think - by Submitted on May 17, 2011 from Gary JordanOften, when people talk about introverts and extraverts, they think in terms of whether people enjoy social interactions. In fact, the true definitions of introversion and extraversion have to do with where a person finds meaning – and for this reason, knowing which you are can help you make ...
Views: 1165 - Relationships and Marriage: A Perceptual Styles Perspective - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2011 from Gary JordanThe Perceptual Styles Theory (PST) describes six distinct ways that different people see the world, what they value, and how they communicate, so—as one of the originators of this psychological theory—it’s only natural that people often ask me which style would make the best match for them in a ...
Views: 665 - Business Development: Getting the Most Out of a Mastermind Group - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2011 from Gary JordanI first encountered the concept of mastermind groups reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill back in the early 80’s, but it wasn’t until recently that mastermind groups really took off. Now they’re everywhere, and they have become an essential part of business development for internet ...
Views: 1800 - Business and Communication: Almost, but Not Quite - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Gary JordanThe six Perceptual Styles describe six psychologically unique ways of perceiving the world. The theory behind Perceptual Styles states that certain Styles are more similar than others. These “neighboring styles” may use similar types of language, but that doesn’t mean they mean the same thing. ...
Views: 901 - Business Development: Perceptual Styles Theory in Action - by Submitted on Dec 14, 2010 from Gary JordanAt Vega Behavioral Consulting, we help businesses unleash the power of teams by fitting the right people to the right tasks—and showing people powerful skills for understanding themselves and others. It’s all based on the Perceptual Styles Theory, which holds that all people, regardless of race, ...
Views: 827 - Business Development: What is Perceptual Styles Theory? And How Does It Work? - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2010 from Gary JordanBeing a lifelong student of human behavior, I’ve always been interested in understanding the differences between people, including what they value, the way they see the world, the conclusions they draw, and the actions they take. Psychological style theories offer the explanation that ...
Views: 1189 - Communication Styles in the Workplace: Goals vs. Flow - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2010 from Gary JordanAs coaches, we spend a lot of time helping people understand the distinctions between the six different Perceptual Styles. Why? Because these distinctions are essential to understanding conflicts that arise in the workplace (and everywhere else, too). A classic example is a corporate client ...
Views: 1656 - Relationships and Communication: Sender vs. Receiver - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2010 from Gary JordanIn Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers, the author writes: “Western communication has what linguists call a “transmitter orientation” – that is, it is considered the responsibility of the speaker to communicate ideas clearly and unambiguously. . . But Korea, like many Asian countries, is ...
Views: 1990 - Exploring Psychological Diversity: Social Differences Explained - by Submitted on May 01, 2010 from Gary JordanDiversity is all around us. Most often people associate the word with differences in ethnicity, language, gender, values, sexual orientation, culture, economic class, or religion. The news talks about it, companies provide training about it, churches offer symposiums about it, and universities ...
Views: 1439 - Is Your Life Messing With Your Mind? Letting Your Natural Skills Take the Lead - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2010 from Gary JordanThe late Jim Rohn was once asked by a group of psychiatrists what single thing he thought most messed with the mind. His answer was “not becoming all that you can be”. Building on his answer, I would add that it is impossible to become all that you can be if you are trying to build your life ...
Views: 822 - What Are You Waiting For? The Time is Now: Claim Your Talent Advantage - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2010 from Gary JordanWhen I speak to groups about Talent Advantage I always begin by clearly defining everything the concept encompasses. Simply put, Your Talent Advantage is the idea that each of us is born with a unique set of natural skills. When we recognize and develop these skills into their full potential we ...
Views: 958(1 vote) - I Need More Time: Better Coaching Techniques For a Bigger Impact - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2010 from Gary JordanThose of us who have taken up coaching as a career do so because of a desire to have impact on people – to make a difference. Every professional coach knows that significant change takes time and, unfortunately, time is a resource that is becoming more precious every day. This was poignantly ...
Views: 876(4 votes) - Living Your Talent: Eliminating the Roadblocks that Get in the Way - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2010 from Gary JordanClaiming your Talent Advantage and using it to Live Your Talents are more than theoretical concepts for me. I believe that Your Talent Advantage is not only your birthright, but the road to a more fulfilling and meaningful life. We all travel the road of life from one end to the other, so why ...
Views: 1135(1 vote) - Successful Entrepreneurs and The Importance Of Building A Team - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2010 from Gary JordanI often encounter entrepreneurs who see themselves as soloists, single individuals boldly taking risks to create new and imaginative products or solving problems in unique and unusual ways by themselves. Successful entrepreneurs know that in order to discover untapped markets, to develop new ...
Views: 952 - Does Living Your Talents Lead to Success? - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2010 from Gary JordanRecently, my colleague and I were discussing the validity of the idea that if you have a positive attitude, follow your passion, and do what you love then success and money will follow. My position generally was that the idea was valid; hers was that it was not. The discussion arose during a ...
Views: 1466(2 votes) - Who Do You Think You Are? How Social Roles Can Determine Success in Life - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2010 from Gary JordanWhen people think of playing a role they usually imagine taking a part in a stage production or starring in a blockbuster movie. For most of us, though, those kind of roles are the stuff of fantasy. But every day, you actually play all kinds of social roles in your relationships with ...
Views: 923(1 vote) - How Multiple Intelligence Theory Reveals Opportunities for Personal Growth - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2009 from Gary JordanSo, how intelligent are you? If the question makes you a little uneasy, then you are like most people. Very few topics in our culture are as talked about with as little understanding as the issue of intelligence. This is true because while it’s easy to assume we know what intelligence ...
Views: 1228(3 votes) - The Secret to Successful Relationships - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2009 from Gary JordanHave you ever been in a conversation where it was obvious the other person couldn't wait for you to finish talking in order to say something? We all have I’m sure, and it’s not a great feeling. You see, relationships are like lengthy conversations. There is a back-and-forth quality that ...
Views: 946(1 vote) - Learn How to Celebrate Your Limitations for Life Success - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2009 from Gary JordanYou’ve probably heard the phrase, “You can do anything you want to if you just put your mind to it!” at least once in your life. That statement is altogether misleading and unfairly forces many of us to believe that we should follow through no matter how unhappy the tasks or position makes ...
Views: 1231(3 votes) - When Everyone Is Right, Who's Wrong? Uncovering the Mystery of Perceptual Styles - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2009 from Gary JordanEach of us perceives the world differently, not only because of differing perceptual styles, but also because of the various circumstances, goals, aspirations, ages and lifestyles we have. These individual experiences create different realities, each of which represents only part of the whole ...
Views: 838(4 votes) - Do You Have Permission to Excel? - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2009 from Gary JordanYour skills and the roles they support didn't come about by accident. They were developed through training and experience. The question that fascinates us is, "What kind of training and what kind of experience?" Your current abilities depend largely on how you experienced four important ...
Views: 846(4 votes) - Enjoying Life: How Discovering Your Natural Skills Can Keep Things Looking Up - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2009 from Gary JordanDetermining whether a particular skill you possess is natural or acquired is an important step to doing more of what you do best. Because many of of our natural skills bring a greater feeling of joy, these skills are worth discovering and developing. A “skill” is a behavior or ability ...
Views: 950(4 votes) - Teaching an Eagle to Swim, Appreciating and Nurturing Your Unique Talents - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2009 from Gary JordanHave you noticed how so much of the feedback we get about ourselves in life is negative? Think back to school progress reports. Now, reflect on your job performance evaluations. How often did these assessments focus on what you were doing well, as opposed to where you needed to improve? If ...
Views: 1056(5 votes) - Rediscovering the Classroom: How to Make Learning Fun - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Gary JordanIf you're like many people, you spent much of your youth in school, sat in a lot of classes, listened to a lot of lectures, and did a lot of homework. Maybe along the way you even learned something. I say "maybe" because despite all the "changes" in educational curriculum over the last ...
Views: 1565(3 votes)