SLA2016 : Erika Andersen, Keynote

Hanging lights

Erika Andersen - Founding Partner, Proteus

She is also a leadership blogger at Forbes.com.  She is the author of the book Be Bad First.

Topic - "Learner As Leader"

She wants to help us turbocharge our ability to learn new skills

Knowledge doubling curve  - Bucky Fuller

Now knowledge doubles every 12 months.

Because of that, we need to crack the learning code.

While we like to be could at things, we don't like the messy process of learning something new. There are things we need to learn, but don't want to learn.

Cracking the code:

• Aspiration
• Neutral self-awareness - people's self awareness is not accurate
• Endless curiosity 
• Willingness to  be bad first - it is uncomfortable to do something bad at first.

Aspiration - you gotta wanna

• "We only do the things we want do do." If we're not doing it, then we really don't want to do it.  
• Find the benefits.
• When want to do something, we think of all of the negatives.  
• Envision a future where you have those benefits. Must be personally motivating to you.  If the benefits are personally motivating, you'll do it.

Neutral self-awareness

• "Unless too can be objective about where you're starting from, it's nearly impossible to learn...or lead."
• Manage your self talk - stimulus -> interpret the stimulus -> self-talk -> response
• Recognize that you're talking to yourself
• Record - write down your negative self-talk then...
• Revise - turn it into a positive belief
• Repeat your new, positive self-talk
• Become a fair witness - fair witnesses need to be objective.  Only speak from direct experience.
• Is the information you have about yourself accurate? What facts do I have?
• Be open to "good" sources - people who can help us see ourselves clearly.
• See you clearly
• Want the best for you
• Are willing to be honest
• You must then listen to what they say

Endless curiosity

• Curiosity is a survival mechanism
• Curiosity gets socialize doctors by the time we're teenagers.
• Need to re-engage childhood curiosity.
• Fins your own curiosity sparks
• Fan the flames of your curiosity daily - how, why, I wonder.... Be brave enough to ask those questions out loud.

Willingness to be bad first

• By the time we gets be 30 years old, we identify with our expertise.
• Accept being not-good (liberating) ...and...
• Believe in your ability to get good (inspiring)
• Bridging
• What do I already know that is something like this?

Lead by becoming a master of mastery

• We don't know Thea we can make ourselves want to learn things -> aspiration 
• We don't see ourselves ourselves clearly -> neutral self awareness 
• We've lost tough with our curiosity -> endless curiosity 
• We don't want to look bad or dumb -> be bad first 

"I'm still learning." - Michelangelo 

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Updated 06/17/2016