Growing the Human Operating System By: Wendy Wilson “When we experience the world as “too complex” we are not just experiencing the complexity of the world. We are experiencing a mismatch between the world’s complexity and our own at this moment. There are only two logical ways to mend this mismatch – reduce the world’s complexity or increase our own.” - Robert Kegan & Lisa Lahey So, there is really only one solution; to increase our own complexity. And as the world’s complexity is accelerating, we need greater complexity of mind - just to keep up . I ncreasing our complexity like growing our human operating system. It expands how we think and make sense of the world, sometimes referred to as vertical development, in contrast to horizontal development or the process of gaining additional knowledge and skills. Growing our human operating system is more critical than ever to help leaders make decisions and lead effectively. It help us: See new things that we couldn’t see before. Increase our capacity to hold different, sometimes opposing, perspectives. Increase the sophistication of our interactions with others. And improve our effectiveness in complex contexts. What the Heck is Water? You may have heard The Two Fish Story: Two fish pass each other one morning. One nods to the other and says, ‘good morning, how’s the water?’ The other fish nods and swims away thinking, ‘what the heck is water?’ We all have lenses through which we view the world and things we can’t ‘see’ about ourselves and our impact. When we are able to see new things, we expand and it shift s how we show up. This is called the subject-to-object shift. When something you used to be subject to (i.e., you’re swimming in water) is now the object of your attention (i.e., you can now ‘see’ the water). According to a Duke University study, over 45% of all our daily behaviours are automatic; they are done out of habit with no conscious thought. Our habits are typically from the past, based on old beliefs that were once helpful, and now get in the way of our effectiveness. Times change, the demands on our leadership grow and something new is required of us. At some level we know it’s time to step up our game to a more expansive way of knowing and interacting in the world. What Can’t You See? Paradoxically, the things that made us successful and helped us get to this point in our life, may be the very things we need to see and change. Habits and tendencies such as being controlling, aggressive, striving for perfection, people-pleasing, always having the solution, protecting ourselves, being cautious – and many others - may no longer serve us. These habits and tendencies have gifts in them, but they don’t scale as leadership demands increase. When I was an Operations Manager at Bell Canada many years ago, I was given a special project with high visibility across a number of departments, and that's when I became acutely aware of my perfectionist tendencies. I had a certain way I wanted the project to be approached. I created all the reports and supporting documents myself, despite having two other people on the project with me. I worked long hours trying to figure out the best solution, primarily by myself. I justified this approach by telling myself I was the manager, my name was ultimately on the project, and a lot was riding on the outcome. One morning I was in the office alone, feeling completely overwhelmed and overworked, and I knew there had to be a better way. As our leadership and context scales, o ur limiting h abits and tendencies start to cause personal pain and impact those around us. It can leave us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, stuck or unable to fully make our desired impact. In my case, all of the above! If this is resonating for you, a good place to start is to notice the behaviours, habits or beliefs that are getting in your way. (Note that you will probably start justifying your behaviour - that's a normal part of the process). It may help to ask for feedback from someone you trust or to engage in a 360-feedback process (i.e. the Leadership Circle Profile is a great assessment tool to uncover reactive and creative tendencies). Seeing and naming your current beliefs and tendencies helps you tap into your current operating system to see how you’re programmed. The goal is not to get rid of your old habits – it is to transcend and include the gifts of your old habits . To find a more relaxed and expanded way to be with more complexity. 

New Habits for the Ultra-Pentathlon By: Wendy Wilson A pentathlon is an Olympic sport that features five different events, requiring a range of skills, endurance and resilience. David P. Peterson, Director at Google, referred to the pandemic as an ultra-pentathlon, and it certainly resonates. At first, we thought the pandemic would last until spring. Then the fall. Now, we’re over 7 months in. The realization that the pandemic is not a sprint, but an ultra-pentathlon, is sinking in. We are accepting that we don’t know how long it will last - and that some things will actually never go back to the way they were. We are shifting from reacting and waiting to get back to normal to responding thoughtfully and creatively to the future that’s unfolding. It's a shift from surviving to thriving. And we are all in different phases of this shift. To make the shift to thriving, it's a good time to check in on the habits that are supporting us – or not. Habits are important because they force us to look at where our edges are . At best they make up the regular choices we make that are aligned with what's important to us. At worst, they are the ultimate form of self-sabotage. Start by taking stock; how are your current habits working for you? Take a moment to reflect on your current habits - which may be quite different now than pre-pandemic. Are they supporting what's important in your work and personal life? Your sustainable well-being? Or would you benefit from a change? Next, think of one habit that would make a big difference. What is one habit that will influence everything? And it's worth noting that small changes can make a big difference over time. You've probably heard the analogy that a 1% change in a ship's direction can change the country in which it lands. So consider starting with one small change - to build your success and your confidence. So, what could you start today, so that 3 years from now you can say, 'that was the best thing that ever happened to me.' Maybe you want to start a practice of daily writing, carve out time for planning & reflection, or begin 15-minutes of daily exercise. Maybe you want to connect with each person on your team once a week, without fail. Or maybe you want to finish work by a certain time each day, creating time to read, take a walk or connect with others to recharge and fill your tank for the days and weeks ahead. One of my clients is feeling burnt out with work and family responsibilities. He's recently committed to taking regular long weekends and half an hour each day for walking and reflecting, to support a much-needed mental break, his sustainable well-being and creativity. Another client is committed to a new morning routine to help her enter the day more gently, instead of heading straight to her computer. It replace the transition she used to have in her morning commute - minus the traffic. Keep you new habit top of mind and be consistent. Consistency is key for sustaining new habits. Here are some ideas that may work for you: Try s cheduling your new habit it in your calendar or adding it to your daily to do list - these are game-changer s . You can also try doing your new habit at the same time every day, or schedule an alarm as a remind er. Capturing your new habit on a post-it note and placing it where you'll see it regularly may work . Finally, a n accountability buddy m ay make a difference in holding you accountable. Intentional new habits are important to both our well-being and creating what's important in our life - especially in this ultra-pentathlon.