By Dr. Marcus Mottley

This 2020 pandemic has caused a world-wide pandemonium. Everyone is dealing with high levels of stress and uncertainty. You are not alone and it is not your fault.  2020 has been a wild ride for everyone on the planet. No one could have predicted this level of chaos, fear, worry and pain when this year started. Everywhere – in every corner of the globe, the coronavirus has changed life as we know it. In a few ‘short’ weeks, our sense of normalcy became unrecognizable in just about every way.

Public health policies, including physical distancing, social changes, rules, regulations, and quarantines have caused a feeling of fear for many. Masks, hand sanitizers, travel restrictions, mass hospitalizations, mass deaths, millions left grieving loved ones… and so much more. There has been a lot of negativity for people everywhere to deal with.

There is economic insecurity, changes to daily routines as well as changes to the fabric...

By Marcus Mottley, PhD

Think about the last gift you got. Chances are that what you’re thinking about is something wrapped in gift paper or in an Amazon Prime box. Maybe you are thinking about something you received on your birthday, special anniversary or last Christmas!

A gift, is definitely not that time you accidentally dropped the cake you just baked on the floor or forgot the turkey in the oven. There is no way that a gift is like going bankrupt, having a business go under, breaking up with your partner or leaving your windows open during a hurricane. Certainly, getting your car stolen because you left your car unlocked in a bad neighborhood is not a gift!

Or is it?

Each mistake we make probably presents a chance to learn and grow. Let’s look at these four types of mistakes and see how we can use even stupid mistakes as an opportunity to strengthen our character, resolve and maybe much more.

Stupid Mistakes

One writer sums-up ‘stupid...

By Marcus Mottley, PhD

A crisis is a point in your life when you are overwhelmed, and your regular routine won’t solve the problem.  When you experience a period of extreme difficulty, trouble, or danger, you need a way to manage the situation. 

Experts at the National Institute of Health agree that the best way to manage a crisis is to have a plan.  First responders, like emergency medical personnel and law enforcement, develop crisis management plans for disasters and emergencies.  While you can’t predict when a crisis might strike, you can plan for likely scenarios.  Crisis management begins with the attitude of when not if. 

Natural disasters are potential crises.  If you live in an area where hurricanes, tornados, floods, or earthquakes happen, you need a plan for when they affect you.  Your city and state have crisis management plans for public emergencies, including natural disasters, epidemics, and mass casualty situations...

By Marcus Mottley, PhD

Everyone has their own anger ‘triggers’. These are the things that lead to them being irritated, frustrated, annoyed, upset or just plain angry. You could probably list your own triggers right now—little emotional ‘shtuff’ like clutter, other people’s ‘bad’ habits and small things that people do that annoy you, or having to wait on someone who is late. Maybe you can’t stand a particular word or phrase, you don’t function well if a room is not set to your ‘liking’, or you find it impossible to work if there is noise. The thing about triggers is that they are often small things that tip you over the edge, and before you know it, you’ve lost your temper over something that in the scheme of things, doesn’t really matter that much.

Here are four approaches you can take to manage your anger triggers better.

1. Take control of you

The first thing is to realize that you are...

By Dr. Marcus Mottley

For anyone who has embarked on a journey toward self-improvement or personal growth, you know that the better version of yourself seems to lie at the other end of a roller coaster ride. The path to transformation is uneven, mostly uphill, and often includes many setbacks that leave you questioning your choice to start, though once you have reached your goals it is often very worth the effort. To achieve success in your personal or professional development you need a ‘growth mindset’ that works for you. And, I propose that the best growth mindset strategy is the Kaizen method.

The Kaizen method is an approach to improvement that helps you embrace the marathon that is continuous growth, rather than expecting instant results and gratification. Instead of looking for ways to make it all better RIGHT NOW, this approach adopts a more realistic strategy that leads to success over time.

Understanding the Kaizen Method

Unlike the notion of radical...

I read the story of Ernest Shackleton's Leadership many many years ago and it left an indelible mark - not just on my mind, but on my consciousness.

I said to myself - "That is an example of REAL leadership!" Think of any characteristic that the so-called leadership gurus teach... They are all there! 

Recently, Robert Greene, in his book "Laws of Human Nature", featured a description of Shackleton's famous ordeal in Antarctica. Here is the excerpt in full.  

Be warned: This is a long piece... but well worth reading. 

In October of 1915, the great English explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874–1922) ordered the abandonment of the ship Endurance, which had been trapped in an ice floe in Antarctica for over eight months and was beginning to take on water.

For Shackleton this meant he essentially had to give up on his great dream of leading his men on the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent.

This was to have been the culmination of his...

By Dr. Marcus Mottley

By Dr. Marcus Mottley

Firm boundaries are fundamental for healthy relationships. Not just romantic relationships. All relationships. Relationships with your leaders, peers, direct reports, coworkers, friends and family members. Everyone. When you don’t set firm boundaries, the space between you and them may not only be disrespected – but it may be fuzzy and unclear. You may then feel resentful. And after that things can get messy very quickly. At the very least you may harbor doubts and potentially carry unspoken ill-feelings – which could then leak into how you relate to others.

So, what are boundaries?

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines a boundary as: “A real or imagined line that marks the edge of something”.

The principle behind personal/professional boundaries embodies this same idea and applies it to our relationships. For example, the phrase “to overstep a boundary” no doubt evokes the image of someone stepping over a physical...

Philosophy is one of my hidden loves! And, so throughout the years I have sought to study the teachings of the great philosophers and sages. Naturally, one of my must-read and must-study giants of history is Confucius.

And, over the years, I have learned much from his teachings and thoughts: “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without!” And when I work with senior civil servants and public sector leaders, I often quote this: “Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs!” And I encourage people in my workshops and seminars: “The mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” And these days, as I listen to what’s going on in the political halls of power all across the globe, I am reminded: “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”

And so, I have the greatest respect for Confucius who lived many thousands of years ago, and whose sayings are...