John Ballard, Ph.D.

On the importance of trust.

The No. 1 'desirable' trait CEOs look for in employees, says Harvard career expert: It's 'a huge currency' There’s an important quality on which all professional relationships are built and how they thrive, says Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati.

Study: "Consistently working in an occupation with intermediate or high occupational PA was linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment."

Not All Exercise Is Beneficial: The PA Paradox Explained Occupational, but not leisure-time, physical activity is linked to higher risks for dementia, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Here's why.

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." Albert Einstein

"The more you have thought and written on a given theme, the more you can still write. Thought breeds thought. It grows under your hands." Henry David Thoreau, from his journal.

"Professional success on its own does not guarantee happiness, even though it may be gratifying. The study revealed that those who were happiest were not isolated. In fact, the happiest people valued and fostered relationships."

Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which encompasses 85 years of longitudinal study, sheds light on the factors that promote happiness.

Here are 10 research-based insights about happiness.For example:
--Situations where money affects well-being: poverty, indebtedness, losing income.
--Strong predictors of happiness: relationships, stable employment, mental and physical health. http://www.johnballardphd.com/blog/on-happiness

Burnout is an issue for leaders. They should be aware of their own potential for burnout, but more important, they should understand their role in mitigating burnout among those they lead.

Burnout: An Issue for Leaders Burnout is chronic stress on steroids. It can affect our work, our relationships, our health, even our brain structures. So what does it mean to be burnt out? Complete emotional exhaustion and an...

"Wanting to make the world a better place is primarily driven by the desire for growth -- the cultivation of growth in one's self and others -- not primarily the drive for money, status, and power." Scott Barry Kaufman in Transcend.

"Good relationships were the most significant predictor of health and happiness during aging."
Longitudinal study (n>2000) over 85 yrs.

Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which encompasses 85 years of longitudinal study, sheds light on the factors that promote happiness.

"It is in our nature to resist change, and, for some of us, it is very scary. However, change is the essence of life, and you need to master yourself so that you can handle change when it occurs and adapt as necessary. " Alan Lerchbacker in Fred Stuvek's The Experience of Leadership.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Mark Twain

"I literally read the Declaration of Independence from beginning to end (on the 4th of July). I never get over the magnificence of that document. The thought that went into it and the truths that are in it. And they're so inspiring. .especially to an immigrant." Joseph Juran

Behaviors of ineffective managers:
-accept conventional company wisdom without question
-tolerate ineffective subordinates
-don’t handle priorities
-don’t ask for help or advice when needed
-don’t recognize own weaknesses
More in my latest blog:

Behaviors of Ineffective Managers & On Handling Priorities What behaviors are typical of ineffective managers? In a classic Harvard Business Review article in 1977, Wickham Skinner and W. Earl Sasser discussed behaviors characteristic of less effective...

"If you can't communicate it, you probably don't know what you're trying to accomplish."

Maxwell Taylor, General, Ambassador. Quoted by Victoria Clarke in Fred Stuvek's The Experience of Leadership.

"The tech companies now resisting remote work are the same ones who power it."

Google has officially changed its mind about remote work Yet another big tech baron is beckoning workers back to the office. Now Google is doubling down on enforcing in-person work, according to a new company notice.

Memorial Day is a solemn day for me.

Remembering Memorial Day is a solemn day for me. I have known my share of friends and acquaintances who died in service to our country . Some were lost in Vietnam. Others in the Cold War. Still others due to...

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard taskmaster to yourself - and be lenient with everybody else." Henry W. Beecher. Shared with me by my grandmother on my high school graduation.

Confronting fears that debilitate us & overcoming them is part of growing as a leader. Here is my story about confronting a fear earlier in my life:
http://johnballardphd.com/blog/confront-your-fears From my chapter in Fred Stuvek, Jr.'s The Experience of Leadership.

​Confront Your Fears Fear can be an obstacle to being an effective leader. We all have fears of different types, at different times. Confronting fears that debilitate us and overcoming them is part of growing as a...

A bad boss may micromanage. "Being constantly observed and evaluated can cause worker stress. It can slow down the work process.." Ron Riggio in Daily Leadership Development.

Generative AI will revolutionize our world, especially how we work. This video should be required viewing. https://youtu.be/880TBXMuzmk via

The AI revolution: Google's developers on the future of artificial intelligence | 60 Minutes Competitive pressure among tech giants is propelling society into the future of artificial intelligence, ready or not. Scott Pelley dives into the world of A...

"It's a formula that can apply to every company: hire employees who are good at what they do and let them just do it." Ben Cohen in The Wall Street Journal writing about Phil Knight's philosophy at Nike.

4 abilities for success in almost any profession or occupation:
-to read with comprehension
-to write with expression
-to speak with persuasion
-to listen with discernment
Alan Weiss in Our Emperors Have No Clothes

One year from today, April 8, 2024, the moon will block the sun in a path across the U.S. from Texas to Maine. One of the greatest spectacles one can see from Earth, a total solar eclipse. Here is the story of my 2017 eclipse adventure.

Another Eclipse Story My blog is usually about the practical implications of research on leadership, management, and the workplace. In my last blog I described my 1991 solar eclipse adventure . In this one I share my...

There are three personality traits that tend to be highly related to success at work and in life.

On Self-control, Grit, Conscientiousness & Success Why are some people more successful than others at work, home, life? All things being equal, much success comes from within ourselves. There are psychological characteristics that are related to...

"Cultivate the tree which you have found to bear fruit in your soil. Regard not your past failures nor successes." Henry David Thoreau, from his journal, 1850.

"GPT’s ability to express ideas will increasingly be like having a white-collar worker available to help you with various tasks." Bill Gates

The Age of AI has begun Bill Gates explains why AI is as revolutionary as personal computers, mobile phones, and the Internet, and he gives three principles for how to think about it.

5 "deadly sins" by leaders who “trample” development of meaningful workplaces.
1. Disconnect people from their values.
2. Take employees for granted.
3. Give people pointless work to do.
4. Treat people unfairly.
5. Override people’s better judgment.
From Bailey & Madden (2016)

5 Ways Bosses Can Trample on Employees Employees who see their work as very meaningful are more likely to be highly engaged in the workplace. Finding ways to make our workplaces more meaningful is a hot topic for leaders. But what about...

Leadership is a people business. People matter.
-Build solid relationships.
-Show importance of work people doing.
-Be sure people understand how their work is critical to organization's success.
Paraphrase of Jon Rennie in Fred Stuvek, Jr.'s The Experience of Leadership.

Business is about relationships. I have seen no evidence thus far that AI will build relationships. My blog on the AI revolution and customer value:

The AI Revolution & Customer Value “Have you noticed any changes in the businesses you’ve dealt with lately?” queried a friend. “Actually I have. Since the pandemic customer service does seem to be as good.” “Exactly,”...

"The most common reason job-hoppers gave for wanting a return to their former employers was that they missed their old colleagues." Eleanor Pringle We meet a lot of our social needs in the workplace.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/great-resignation-now-great-regret-163652541.html?

The ‘Great Resignation’ is now the ‘Great Regret’: 80% of job hoppers wish they hadn’t quit their old roles, with Gen Z the most regretful Is the grass always greener? For those who packed in their roles during the 'Great Resignation', apparently not.

Slowing Memory Decline. Longitudinal study 10 yrs, n>29,000
6 modifiable factors: Physical exercise, Smoking,
Alcohol consumption, Diet, Cognitive activity,
Social contact.
Good read: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/987572?src=soc_tw_share via

Six Healthy Lifestyle Habits Linked to Slowed Memory Decline This study found that six healthy lifestyle factors slowed memory decline in older adults over a 10-year period, regardless of whether they were APOE4 carriers.

A young person asked a friend, "Can you recommend a book to help me understand the workplace?" He replied, "Decoding the workplace." With people returning to offices, I thought it appropriate to reintroduce my book and why I wrote it. From the archives.

Reflecting on My Book Decoding the Workplace Six years ago in May, Praeger (ABC-CLIO) published my book Decoding the Workplace . I was at the early stage of learning the “book” business and I am still learning. Unlike many career and...

From Medscape: "The newest subvariant of Omicron, XBB.1.5, is so transmissible that everybody is at risk of catching it, even if they've already been infected and are fully vaccinated, a health expert told USA Today."

New Omicron Subvariant Is 'Crazy Infectious,' COVID Expert Warns "All the things that have protected you for the past couple of years, I don't think are going to protect you against this new crop of variants."

My annual blog about the importance of reading. I discuss a few books that I read in 2022 and books on my list for 2023. What are you reading?

What Are You Reading? My annual blog about the importance of reading books, modified from my previous January blogs. My experience is the best leaders always have a book they are reading. Reading is essential to...

No one develops as much as the person who is trying to help others to develop themselves. Indeed, no one can develop unless they work on the development of others. Paraphrased from Peter Drucker, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices.

In the course of our days, our weeks, there may be small victories, small moments that we should savor -- but we don't. They barely register. We move on to the next task, the next meeting, the next project. Savor that "nice work", "great job". Allow yourself to enjoy the contribution you made to the success of the team, of another person. Best wishes for 2023.

Rule IX: Celebrate the Moment I am a fan of Herbert Shepard's classic "Rules of Thumb for Change Agents ." HIs last rule of thumb, Rule VIII, is "Capture the moment." He suggested that we can handle a situation at work or in...

8 recommendations to improve Santa's evaluation system. My annual blog based on Thomas Stetz's classic article.

Santa Needs an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist This time of year I like to revisit a Christmas classic from Thomas Stetz of Hawaii Pacific University, “What Santa Claus Can Learn from I-O Psychology: Eight Performance Management...

Gaslighting is a new term for me. "Gaslighters, as the name suggests, cast themselves in a positive light — friend or confidante who is here to help — but actually are manipulating or undermining others, usually from the shadows, which adds to their potential power." Interesting article from Tessa West, NYU.

‘Gaslighters have two signature moves’: Are you being gaslighted at work? Here's how to recognize the signs. People who lie, steal and disrespect you at work have the trappings of a gaslighter. But the real deal has a whole lot more.

"In the horrors of the concentration camp at Auschwitz, Viktor Frankl experienced wonder and great beauty in a magnificent sunset..Even when everything seems to be in our way or against us, there is choice." From Decoding the Workplace.