Happiness Through Humanism

Unveiling the Secrets of "Mastering the 5 Managerial Superpowers"

I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest book, Mastering the 5 Managerial Superpowers. This is not just another book on management and leadership—it's a deep dive into the science of how you can truly gain control over your responses, hack your brain using behavioral science, and manage conflict with unprecedented effectiveness.

I honestly believe it’s the most important work I’ve ever written. Here’s why.

Foundational Skills: Building the Bedrock of Effective Leadership

At the heart of Mastering the 5 Managerial Superpowers is the concept of foundational skills. This starts with cultivating self-awareness and compassion—because understanding yourself and showing empathy towards others are the cornerstones of effective leadership.

Once you’ve laid this groundwork, you can move on to mastering self-control. This isn’t about repressing your emotions but rather about understanding them so deeply that you can choose how to respond. Instead of reacting with a knee-jerk impulse, you can respond strategically, turning every situation into an opportunity for positive outcomes.

Hacking Your Brain: The Science of Change

The second big idea in the book is about hacking your brain. I explore how you can use insights from behavioral science to literally rewire your default reactions and change how you deal with problems. Change isn’t just possible; it’s something you can engineer within yourself.

Imagine being able to shift your mindset, break free from unproductive habits, and approach challenges with a renewed sense of clarity. This book shows you how to harness the power of behavioral science to make these changes not just aspirational but achievable.

Managing Conflict: Mastering the Art of Response

Finally, Mastering the 5 Managerial Superpowers delves into one of the most critical aspects of leadership and - life: managing conflict. The key to effective conflict management isn’t just about resolving disagreements. It's about managing your own response to conflict.

By mastering the skills of self-control and strategic response, you can approach conflicts not as threats but as opportunities. This book equips you with the tools to navigate these situations with confidence and poise, ensuring that you lead by example even in the most challenging circumstances.

Why This Book Matters

In a world where change is constant and challenges are inevitable, the ability to control your responses and lead with intention is more important than ever both in your personal and professional life. Mastering the 5 Managerial Superpowers is designed to help you develop these critical skills so that you can not only survive but thrive.

The reason I think this is the best book I've ever written is because it's not just about leadership. It's about self management. And how to accomplish that using behavioral science to change how you respond. I feel like I've shared the secrets of the universe and how to be human - better - in this book. Like everything else I've written was leading up to this. It's an odd feeling to have.

The funny thing is - I wrote this course and book, because someone asked me to. They told me the topics they wanted me to cover. I thought they were great and I wrote about my approach to self awareness, managing change, conflict management and - managing actual real people.

The point is, whether you’re a seasoned manager, a new manager, or just want to learn how to be a better human, this book offers actionable insights based on science that will transform the way you approach your work and your life.

I truly believe that the tools and techniques outlined in this book can make a profound difference in your life and in your journey as a leader. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to hearing how Mastering the 5 Managerial Superpowers impacts you.

Learn More:

The online course can be accessed at: https://humanistlearning.com/mastering-the-five-managerial-superpowers/

The paperback is at amazon: https://amzn.to/3SXJy4O

The ebooks are at amazon: https://amzn.to/3AsFvHc

and at your favorite ebook retailers through draft2digital: https://books2read.com/b/bxANgv

The audio book is in process and will be posted at the humanistlearning website once it's available.

Questions about Dealing with Bullies in the Workplace.

Participants in my online courses ask great questions. Here are a couple from my stop bullying in the workplace program and my answers to them. They are about false reports and how to effectively document bullying.

PS if you want to take one of these courses - here is the link: https://humanistlearning.com/category/bullyingharassment/

Question 1: What do you do with a false harassment report?

When a report is false – it tells you something valuable. Which is that – someone just made a false report.

There are a few reasons why this could be.

1. They lied.

2. They told the truth – but you just don’t know it yet

3. Something between the truth and non-truth is going on.

I would start watching and paying a bit more attention to this employee. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and see if there are other things going on. But it’s honestly not unheard of for bullies to make false reports against their targets. So – treat it as valuable information and monitor.

Just so you know though – I have a colleague who runs a reporting system for a school district. He told me that out of 2 million reports they received – only 2 were false. It does happen though.

Your goal – to know what the truth is. So – just keep focusing on that.

Question 2: How do you document bullying behavior?

Hi – I have a sample bullying documentation log at: https://bullyvaccineproject.com/courses/downloads/ free to download.

Date – when/where – who - what exactly happened – who witnessed. – who you reported it to and any documentation available to back it up.

These are mostly for your records – but can be shared with people in authority. Bullying is a pattern of behavior – so it’s important to – document that pattern.

The reporting process in most business aren’t designed to capture patterns of behavior though. They are designed for 1 off situations. That is a challenge for someone trying to prove bullying.

A log that shows the pattern is what helps people understand – this isn’t just a single incident – it’s a pattern.

Free Bullying Resources for Your Family

I offer free bullying resources in English and Spanish. Where I teach how to stop bullying using behavioral science. The book has been translated into Spanish, Italians and Portuguese https://bullyvaccineproject.com/ and https://humanistlearning.com/books-bully-vaccine-translations/

My Ghost Hunting Adventure: A Lesson in Skepticism

I recently went on a ghost hunting tour, an activity I genuinely enjoy. These tours are often rich in history, delving into the stories of people left out of the major historical narratives. This particular tour did not disappoint, offering a blend of eerie fun and historical insights.

As part of the tour, we got to play with various ghost hunting equipment, including spirit boxes and EMF detectors. The spirit boxes, in particular, were a highlight for many participants. For those unfamiliar, a spirit box works by scanning through radio frequencies rapidly. As it does so, it picks up fragments of audio from different stations, and occasionally, words or phrases seem to pop out.

Here’s where it gets fascinating – and misleading. Our brains are incredibly adept at seeking patterns. When we hear a word or phrase that seems contextually relevant, our brains latch onto it, creating the illusion that we’re having a conversation with the dead. This phenomenon is a perfect example of confirmation bias. Our brains are eager to confirm our expectations, so when we hear something that fits the narrative, it feels profoundly real.

On this tour, it was astonishing just how much it felt like I was getting intelligent responses through the spirit box. The experience was almost convincing, reinforcing the importance of skepticism. It’s crucial to remember that our brains can easily fool us, especially when we’re eager to believe something.

The evening concluded with us using a FLIR camera, a device that detects heat signatures. While it was fun to experiment with, it didn’t yield anything particularly interesting. Despite the lack of ghostly evidence, the tour was a fascinating exploration of history and a reminder of the need to question our perceptions.

In the end, while the thrill of ghost hunting can be alluring, it’s essential to approach such experiences with a healthy dose of skepticism. Our minds are powerful, but they can also be deceiving.

If you want to learn how easily your brain can be deceived, view this video. It's about disinformation for journalists, but it includes a primer on how the brain functions. https://humanistlearning.com/disinformation-for-journalists/

Busting the Bullying Myth: Ignoring a Bully Doesn't Work

Let's bust a myth: Ignoring a bully doesn't work.

Ignoring a Bully Doesn't Work! What does? Get the Bully Vaccine and Find Out!

We know people mean well when they say, "Ignore a bully, and they'll leave you alone." But this advice doesn’t work.

What Actually Works?

What works? Simply put: science. Specifically, behavioral science.

For over 70 years, researchers have explored how we learn and unlearn behaviors. There is a way to cause unlearning, but it’s not easy. You have to remove the reward bullies get from bullying.

To make bullying stop, you need to remove the reward. This is incredibly hard to do, especially when a bully is in your face.

Why Ignoring Them Doesn't Work

When people tell you to - "ignore a bully" what they are really trying to say is don’t reward the bully.

The main reason ignoring them doesn’t work is because most bullies see your silence as submission—and they view that – as a reward!

The Process Explained

To get them to stop – you have to remove their reward.

In theory – this is pretty simple. Don’t reward the bully. Repeat until they stop.

But like all simple things, it’s not that easy in reality.

How do you remove the reward without ignoring them?

Answer: You need to find something to say that shows you heard them but aren't bothered by them.

And then, you need to repeat it every time they hassle you.

The Crappy Reality

The other issue with "ignore them and they will go away" is that even if it worked, it wouldn’t work immediately. Ignoring them often leads to an initial increase in their attempts to provoke you before they eventually give up.

How long will this take? Not too long, but it won't work on the first try. Removing the reward requires repetition and patience.

The unfortunate reality is that when you remove the reward, bullying can get worse before it gets better. This is backed by 70 years of research.

Any anti-bullying program that doesn’t prepare you for this reality sets you up to fail. To stop bullying, you need to know what works, how difficult it is, and what to expect when you start using these techniques.

Resources To Stop Bullying

I offer free materials on my website, www.bullyvaccineproject.com, that teach these methods. I also have a book detailing the science and practical steps you can take. Plus, worksheets and exercises to help you develop effective responses to bullies.

If you are looking for harassment training that teaches how to make harassment stop - please consider using my online courses for your staff training needs: https://humanistlearning.com/category/bullyingharassment/