Celebrating Innovation!

Community guests asked questions

There are no foolish questions, and no man becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions. ~ Charles Proteus Steinmetz

What difference does it make for MBA's to celebrate findings from solution strategies they tried at work?  Plenty. When  St. John Fisher MBA students exhibited innovative solutions for community guests, it stretched their skills.  Guests' questions and insights surprised and pleased young MBA leaders throughout the evening.

Targeted possibilities with community leader, Jim Murphy

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.  ~ Dr. Wayne Dwyer.  

Students targeted an improvement they wanted to make for a problem in their workplace. These young MBA's  picked local leaders' brains for solution ideas.  They designed and implemented a strategy at work to overcome the issue. 

Quality Outcomes Expected

The important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding the solution ~ Anonymous

MBA  student leaders expected quality outcomes.  They worked as teams to design exhibit materials to share findings with  community visitors.

Move all resources available

Accomplish things never before accomplished by using parts of your brain never before used at work. ~ Ellen F. Weber

Guests visited colorful booth exhibits, which included games, video demos, healthy snacks, poster displays and music.  Conversations between community visitors and vibrant young leaders filled the room.  They shared experiences and learned from each others' wisdom.

Reflect to adjust and change

Change starts when someone sees the next step. ~ William Drayton

From the beginning, these young leaders made changes and adjustments as they reflected with classmates throughout the course. They asked, "What is the next step?" and, "Where to from here?"

Dr. Jason Berman celebrates Fisher MBA

Dr. Jason Berman added to the celebratory atmosphere by bringing a decorated cookie
to share with all.

Related articles

• MBAs Lead Innovation with Brain in Mind (blogs.forbes.com)
• MBAs Lead Innovative Brainpower

Donna Mah Delaughter - Innovative Leader

Flies dive-bombed Dr. Ellen Weber’s hair as she attempted to capture curiosity from her young students. Irritated by relentless insects, Ellen asked a few boys in class if they’d get rid of sluggish fall flies. Within minutes the whole class joined in, slamming books on the monstrous cluster flies, who'd unfortunately picked Ellen’s classroom as a place to spend winter. Suddenly imaginary flies apparently alighted on many students’ heads, since text books batted heads like bats to ping pong balls. In a few minutes, chaos subsided, buzzing ceased, laughter quieted and class resumed with questions about leadership that differs.

Donna Mah Delaughter, a student in that class over thirty years ago, retold the tale recently.  Through laughter and colorful stories about Ellen's challenges to reach beyond barriers, Donna attributes many of her own marked leadership skills.  Her abundant risk- taking qualities and innovative mind sharpened through Ellen’s facilitation during her top role on the debate team. Donna and several of her peers on the team went forward to win a national trophy. As a young teen in a Canadian school at the time, Donna began a journey that launched life-long learning and never looked back.

Donna recognized her father as a person who prodded her to think beyond stereotypes. He and his family found their way to Canada after they emigrated from China. He wanted his children to be all they could be and though women in his country had been restricted, he envisioned much more for Donna. He said she could even be a doctor if she wanted, and her mother consistently supported Donna's visionary plans.

Donna Mah Delaughter worked her way up the ranks to achieve a top level position as Accountant for SIRAS, a subsidiary of Nintendo. Her quickness and innovative spirit flow unsparingly at the request of SIRAS’ President. She hopes to leave a legacy in life and in work, and in this capacity enjoys mentoring new employees as well as volunteering her time to counsel teens in her church. Donna gives much of her time and talent away and in that role has gained much and benefited all!

In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink shows that in the new Conceptual Age in which we live, we need to go beyond the mind that merely crunches numbers. We now need people with a very different kind of mind--one that is both creative and full of empathy. Donna has amazing ability to understand what makes fellow workers tick. She forges many relationships and cares for others. She recognizes patterns as she mines data from many data banks and makes new meaning from it. And best of all, Donna loves to play with ideas, challenges and possibilities. During her interview Donna challenges us to think of ourselves as the actual owner of the company where we work.

Below Donna shares insights that help us see the heart and soul of her innovative leadership.

What will you do to make a difference? Bill George

Don't be a victim. Go out and focus on winning. Everything is changing... So what will you do to make a difference? Bill George keynote speaker at World Business Forum, 2009

"We need to support small companies," George advises. These will grow up to be great job creators and wealth creators.



Some ideas presented by Bill George about leadership.

"What are you doing to follow your True North? Some make money though their clients go downhill. Some were at the top for 30 years, but things have changed."

You have two choices as leaders. Will you get out and tell your story and be truthful?

When things are going down...INVEST! If you don't invest in downturn, you won't be ready when upturn comes... you won't be ready. You need to go on defense and offense simultaneously.

You need to develop rigorous execution plan so you're ready when opportunity comes.

Each of us need to make a difference in our own environments as well as the world.

Crisis may be your defining moment.

Coming home to a place I'd never been. When Bill George first walked through the door of Medtronics this is how he felt.

Faculty Brainpower for Teen Achievement

Practical applications from neuro research can support teachers own fine endeavors for secondary learning and assessment. Certification offered at the first MITA Brain Institute provides educators strategies to work with rather than against the human brain as students learn. This is critical to business since schools are preparing the leaders of tomorrow.

So what difference does using strategies based on the brain make? Students in classes of university and secondary faculty using MITA strategies improved their achievement significantly and it creates ongoing renewal through faculty-learner generated content. When students make critical decisions and experience real world applications, they gain the problem solving skills needed for the business world.

Interestingly, learning becomes more community centered, too, including parents, community and practical experiences in outside organizations.

During the 20 hour certification, participants create classroom-ready curriculum together that'll be ready to use in a variety of disciplines this fall. An added benefit - no new texts are required for classes.

There will be opportunities to:

Transform neuro discoveries into learning tools

Create brain based lessons and assessment

Obtain MITA materials including a recently published book

Facilitate and build learning communities in your school and beyond

Use tactics to draw on diverse cultures for positive, mutual takeaways

Engage parents at school

Participate in monthly support for a year

Connect with wider community in Knowledge Celebration

Dr. Ellen Weber, President of the MITA Brain Based Center, has published several books and dozens of articles about using more brain for smarter solutions, in journals, periodicals and newspapers. I count it a privilege to collaborate with her during institutes, certification and even keynotes - for fifteen years now.

"Thanks for making this institute available to Rochester," writes, Dan Drmacich, Principal of School Without Walls. "With the commitment of educators to implement what they create this summer, we could have the beginning of a real paradigm shift."

What a joy and challenge to bring updates and innovation to materials and approaches each time we work at new sites and take on new projects. We're looking forward to working in Rochester.

Power Impacts Success and Performance

Power favors an executive's success... Power helps leaders maintain and pursue goals even when they face distractions. How so? Having authority can positively affect planning and performance. On the other hand, lack of power impairs people's ability to keep track of ever-changing information, to sort out what's irrelevant and to plan ahead to meet goals.

A low-power role often impairs a person's cognitive functioning... and ability to get ahead. Power is linked to ability to function well on the job and use problem solving skills effectively.

Interestingly, during an experiment to explore how power affects performance, folks in the low-power group were just as motivated and put forth just as much effort as executives and leaders. Differences appeared in their ability to focus on their current goal. They fell short in complex problem solving and generally demonstrated poor planning.

Implications of this study can make a difference in high-risk industries such as health-care. Here's how... employee errors can have fatal consequences.

What possibilities do you see to overcome the sense of powerlessness and dispossession that often accompanies low-power roles in many of today's organizations? Here're five to start...

1. Involve low-position employees in problem solving... When people's voices and ideas are heard and recognized, they find more satisfaction - leading to greater well-being

2. Empower low-power employees to take charge of a work activity... Empowerment helps the person to concentrate and function at a higher cognitive level.

3. Challenge low-position employees to volunteer in non-profits... Leadership roles are often open in volunteer organizations. Taking on a role can help change peoples' confidence level and sense of position.

4. Reward on-the-job performance... Recognition can help foster concentration needed to avoid mistakes.

5. Share lunch with low-position employees... Getting to know employees and discussing their interests builds a relationship that impacts performance.

What strategies would you add?

Business Words to Impress?

Ever notice that business leaders have a language all their own to impress or look good? After all, the ability to "take charge" depends on just the right words. How many of the following business expressions shared in the University of West Florida Writing Lab have you used or encountered?

1. IT 'S IN PROGRESS - So wrapped in red tape that the situation is almost hopeless.

2. WE'LL LOOK INTO IT - By the time the wheel makes a full turn, we assume you will have forgotten about it.

3. A PROGRAM - Any assignment that can't be completed by one telephone call.

4. CONSULTANT (or expert) - Any ordinary person more than 50 miles from home (must have briefcase).

5. TO ACTIVATE - To make copies and add more names to the memo.

6. TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM - Hire more people and expand the office.

7. UNDER CONSIDERATION - Never heard of it.

8. UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION - We are looking in the files for it.

9. A MEETING - A mass mulling by master minds.

10. TO NEGOTIATE - To seek a meeting of minds without a knocking together of heads.

11. RE-ORIENTATION - Getting used to working again.

12. RELIABLE SOURCE - The person you just met.

13. INFORMED SOURCE - The person who told the guy you just met.

14. UNIMPEACHABLE SOURCE - The person who started the rumor originally.

15. A CLARIFICATION - To fill in the background with so many details that the foreground goes underground.

16. WE ARE MAKING A SURVEY - We need more time to think of an answer.

17. NOTE AND INITIAL - Let's spread the responsibility for this.

18. SEE ME OR LET'S DISCUSS - You're in trouble.

19. LET'S GET TOGETHER ON THIS - I'm assuming you're as confused as I am.

20. GIVE US THE BENEFIT OF YOUR PRESENT THINKING - We'll listen to what you have to say as long as it doesn't interfere with what we have already decided to do.

21. WILL ADVISE YOU IN DUE COURSE - If we figure it out, we'll let you know.

22. TAKE SOME DICTATION - Correctly type this document for me.

When you consider all these phrases, you'll think twice when you hear one!

Interestingly the brain's mirror neurons give away intentions behind these words to folks on the other end...

"Understanding the intentions of others while watching their action is a fundamental building block of social behavior," said principal investigator Dr. Marco Iacoboni, an associate professor in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute's Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Our findings show for the first time that intentions behind actions of others can be recognized by the motor system using a mirror mechanism in the brain. The same area of the brain responsible for understanding behavior can predict behavior as well."

Goes to show that words can work for or against us! Check out Brad Shorr's Word Sell to see how.

Heard any other expressions you could add to the list?

How Do You See Your Business IQ?

Is a high business IQ in your genes or is it more about developing new skills and growing in several areas? Watch a charasmatic leader in action, and you'll often hear the comment, "She's a born leader." On the other hand, more than a few leaders work up the ladder, earn management degrees and try things on for size as they take new risks in the business world. Do you ever make comparisons and wish you were more of a "natural?"

Business IQ Can Be Developed Good news is that people who believe their IQ can be developed will put forth more of an effort to grow new skills and acumen and view setbacks as stepping stones to more positive results. Mindset guides us more than we may realize. If you believe you can learn and grow, here's why it pays off...

People believe that their talents and abilities can be developed through passion, education, and persistence. For them, it's not about looking smart or grooming their image. It's about a commitment to learning--taking informed risks and learning from the results, surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you to grow, looking frankly at your deficiencies and seeking to remedy them. Most great business leaders have had this mindset, because building and maintaining excellent organizations in the face of constant change requires it.

Business IQ Is Natural Talent If you believe business intellgence is fixed, then you might experience a decline in leadership savvy as you attempt to solve new problems or take financial risks. Carol, Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success provides a bigger picture of how beliefs can limit your growth as a leader...

Many years of research have now shown that when people adopt the fixed mindset, it can limit their success. They become over-concerned with proving their talents and abilities, hiding deficiencies, and reacting defensively to mistakes or setbacks-because deficiencies and mistakes imply a (permanent) lack of talent or ability. People in this mindset will actually pass up important opportunities to learn and grow if there is a risk of unmasking weaknesses. This is not a recipe for success in business, as ultimately shown by the folks at Enron, who rarely admitted any mistakes.

Differences in leaders' beliefs about IQ can be observed in ways they select personnel, for instance...

Many people (in a fixed mindset) think that personnel selection is simply about selecting the brightest people and turning them loose. Yet years of research have shown that we are not good at predicting future success on the basis of current assessments of talent. In other words, we can measure people's present skills, aptitudes, and strengths, but this does not translate well into their future performance. Why? Because it doesn't tell us about people's potential for growth in the future-how they might perform with the right commitment, effort, and training. In fact, more and more research is showing that people's level of commitment, effort, and continued training is what eventually separates the most successful people from their equally talented, but less successful, peers. This is true in sports, science, and the arts-and it is becoming clear that it is true in business, too.

This means that the best strategy is not simply to hire the ablest people we can find, but also to look for people who embody a growth mindset: a zest for learning (and teaching), openness to feedback, and an ability to confront and surmount obstacles.It also means training leaders and managers to believe in growth, in addition to training them in the specifics of effective communication and mentoring.

Ready to act on a new mindset today? New research about the brain provides even more tools to grow our business intelligence.

Inner Voice of the Orchestra

Our intrapersonal intelligence’s an inner voice.. sort of a running commentary playing in our head throughout the day. Like the viola section in an orchestra – “inner voice” is quietly there. Yet it “plays a key role in the texture and feel of the music” that sings through our daily activities. What kind of music is your inner voice playing?

Cynthia Phelps, principal violist at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra makes fun links between a viola section and Inner Voice. Cynthia's insightful comments help us picture how the Intrapersonal Intelligence operates...

It's subtle but it's exciting, and it's the kind of thing that is great about being an inner voice, she says. You have a lot of control over how you allow the tune to be played.

The intrapersonal intelligence is the well of a person’s life and we’re the conductors of – experience, emotion, intellect.. . People move their bow in sync with selections or myriad thoughts processed during the course of a day.

Cynthia said, Often times, a conductor will just lean down and mutter something while he's in the middle of traffic-copping everything else, and it's up to me to translate it to the very back stand to make sure they heard it.

Translating is akin to creating. We create who we are, whether that be brassy, blaring, blushing, bumbling, bombastic, burdensome...you get the picture.

She add...A lot of what I have to say has to do with how our rhythm is fitting into the texture of the group.

From the intrapersonal, we decide to be competitive, condescending, cooperative, contentious, conforming, crabby, consoling...

In Cynthia's words...I try and create a balanced middle ground, Phelps added. It really resonates with the way I am as an individual.

As leader of her section, Phelps plays the role of a mediator of sorts. What you think about and do daily shapes who you are until you become the person others see in you. How's your leadership shaping up today?