DealingWithIt

The best leaders I know are exceptionally adept at dealing with challenges.  It's not that they seek out problems; nor is it that they feed on disfunction. 

Somehow, some way, these powerful leaders seem to be perfectly comfortable with the fact that problem-solving comes with the territory as one presumes to lead others.  Dr. Steven Sample speaks eloquently to this attribute in The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership (2003). 

Rather than bristle or commiserate or whine about or shrink in the face of problems, the strongest leaders seem to see problems as opportunities.  Opportunities to:

• Clarify - vision, responsibilities, direction, desired mindset.
• Strengthen - the capacity of others, organizational processes/protocols.
• Reflect - on antecedents, on relationships, on systems.
• Connect - key people, needed resources, lines of communication.

In short, they just "deal with it."

It's almost as if they view continuous improvement as a habit.  ;-)

Prevent&ReverseHeartDisease

I recently read Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.  (2007).

In this book, Esselstyn makes a compelling case, founded in his experiences as a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, that we need not succumb to the effects of heart disease.  CE insists that we can whip heart disease (and many of its downstream cousins) purely by the diet we choose to consume. 

The second half of the book provides numerous recipes that align with the eating regime CE recommends. 

My biggest takeaways:

• Don’t eat anything with a face or a mother; No dairy products; No oils – of any kind; Avoid nuts and avocados.
• Eat all veggies, except avocados; Eat legumes, of all kinds; Eat whole grains and their products, as long as they don’t contain added fats; Eat fruits, of all kinds; Drink water, seltzer water, oat milk, no-fat soy milk, coffee, and tea (alcohol is fine). 
• 3/4 of the world's population does NOT have significant instances of heart disease (all in cultures that eat predominantly plant-based diets).
• OUR health is OUR responsibility, not that of our physicians or food vendors. 

My favorite quote:
“If you eat to save your heart, you eat to save yourself from other diseases of nutritional extravagance: from strokes, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, adult-onset diabetes, and possibly senile mental impairment, as well.  You gain protection from a host of other ailments that have been linked to dietary factors, including impotence and cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, rectum, uterus, and ovaries.  And, if you are eating for good health in this way, here’s a side benefit you might not have expected:  for the rest of your life, you will never again have to count calories or worry about your weight.” (pp. 7-8)

Much to ponder.  The journey of learning about health and wellbeing continues...