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...

Ownership

The best leaders I know foster a sense of ownership among the stakeholders they serve.

What are some of the ways they affect that dynamic?

• They communicate pervasively and openly, resisting mightily an atmosphere of secrecy.
• They consistently and persistently beat the vision drum - "this is what we're about, this is where we're headed."
• They create the conditions that allow folks autonomy in the pursuit of that vision.
• They focus relentlessly on the "Us" and the "We" and the "Our."
• They insist on an environment of equity and fairness.
• They operate on the basis of covenants, not contracts.
• They make others feel valued (in hundreds of ways).

Sounds like the kinda folks I'd gladly follow.

Tackling

I learned early on as a young football coach that there was not just ONE magical offensive or defensive scheme.  If there was, of course, then everyone would deploy them.

The analogy of football coaching informs us as to the challenging elements of complex problems:

• Constantly shifting circumstances
• Talented, often VERY talented, competitors
• Uncontrollable contexts
• Competing objectives within one's own team/organization
• Limited resources (of all kinds)
• Opponents who are extremely smart

So, whether in football coaching or in organizational leadership or in personal life, what tenets should drive our solution crafting?  How best do we tackle (pun intended) complex problems?

Solution crafting strategiery:

• Be crystal clear about our objectives - know exactly what we're trying to achieve.
• Focus on the things we CAN control, not on the ones we can't.
• Adopt principles that drive desired behavior, not rules that manage undesired behavior.
• Work on the "fundamentals" (i.e., the habits) that reinforce those principles every day, regardless of current standings or skill level.
• Build adaptability into our systems - conditions, people, weather, markets are constantly changing.
• Communicate, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE!

And know, without doubt, that tomorrow will bring more complex problems to tackle.

P20

What?  P20?  Huh?

My service to public schools has taken me this year to Throckmorton ISD in Throckmorton, Texas.  I have been blessed to serve as their interim superintendent this year.
Over the last few years Roscoe Collegiate ISD has been spearheading a very bold vision of education for rural children.  That P20 Model has been gaining traction in the minds, the planning, and the actions of some visionary school leaders in Texas and West Virginia.  Throckmorton ISD school and community leaders have adopted a similar aspiration for their own children (and invited me along for the ride).  

So, what gives?  The intended learning outcomes of the P20 Model for ALL students (not just some of them) is that they exit high school with a high school diploma, with a college-level associates degree (60 hours of college credit, completely funded by the school), and/or industry-approved certification(s).  In education-speak, the goal is for our children to be College- AND Career-Ready by the time they leave the hallowed halls of Throckmorton High School.  In non-education-speak, it means that we intend to purposefully and optimally prepare our children to lead happy, productive, and successful lives.  

This is a VERY bold vision for crafting a World Class learning environment and experience.  Ambitious?  You bet!  Easy to accomplish?  Uh, no!  Worthy endeavor?  Absolutely.    

I can't think of a reason any parent might want otherwise for their own children...    

Psycho-Path

The best leaders I know are students of psychology.  Whether parents, teachers, coaches, managers, or presidents, the most effective leaders have (either intuitively or by training or both) an understanding of how best to move people (themselves included).

These insightful influencers understand that the path to high performance is initiated, grounded, and habituated in the mind (in the psychology behind the behavior).

Common traits of these effective leaders?

• Persistent and pervasive respectfulness
• Intense awareness of right behavior/actions
• Consistent and authentic praise for right behavior/actions
• Intentional incentivization of right behavior/actions
• Relentless focus on development

And what about the worst kind of leaders?  Psychopathic - pretty much the opposite of that list above. 

Joy/Misery

Our personal and work lives provide us with a fair dose of both Joy and Misery (with a lot of experiences that fit somewhere in the middle).  The overall assessment of our position on the 

Joy <<<< >>>> Misery

Index is the result of a number of factors.   

While important, the following DO NOT usually drive us to the far extremes of that continuum:

• The software.
• The schedule.
• The pay.
• The conditions.
• The tools.

What does?  The PEOPLE.  They bring us joy or they bring us misery.

Given that fact, we get to make choices everyday about how we contribute to the health of the organizations and families to which we belong.

We can and do move others toward Joy or toward Misery.  

(Note to self:  We reap what we sow.) 

Statues

Statues freeze-frame a moment, locking it in time and space.  They are simply representations of a real (or imagined) moment in life, but they are not LIFE.

Leadership, rather, is a contact sport which requires LIFE.

Some leaders try to insulate themselves from the potential negative consequences associated with living boldly by:

• Distancing themselves from bad news. 
• Placing layers upon layers of bureaucracy between themselves and customers.
• Talking persistently in bland and diluted platitudes.
• Avoiding ownership in decisions.
• Scapegoating anyone or everyone else when things go badly.

Some of the best and wisest leaders I know, however, breathe LIFE into their work and the work of those around them in these ways:

• They boldly lean into rather than away from a vision of a better future for all.
• They notice and acknowledge the hard and risky work of those who "lean into" that vision with them.
• They focus intently on what's going right and only spend time on what's going wrong in the interest of righting it.
• They talk continuously in ways that make those around them feel emboldened, supported, and energized as they stay in the fight for betterness.

Statues need not apply.