“Humans are, first and foremost, thinking beings,
capable of organizing their behavior and modifying it according to circumstances.” Bandura, 1969
Leaders who have higher cognition act from an authentic sense of purpose and clarity. Cognitive leaders have higher levels of influence, are more effective, and create positive lasting change, value and culture, growth, and opportunity – for themselves, stakeholders, teams, and their organizations. They are great at recognizing and managing the well known traits of bad leaders: ego, lack of vision, poor communicator, lack of integrity, lacks trusts, is not team oriented, lack passion and pride toward company brand and employees, is critical and neglects coaching, and has a fixed mindset.
The ABC’s of Cognitive Leadership Behavior framework, A + B + C = Success, is a model based on the work of Dr. Albert Ellis. The framework is designed to help people understand the meaning of their own reactions to adversity and stress.
A = Activating and triggering event that create or cause potential stress in an individual.
B = Belief, Thoughts, Analysis and Validation for attitudes, rules, demands, beliefs, images and applied meaning. This the stage where leaders need to naturally want to stop, pause and take a look to make sure the decision is a good decision that will create value. When this phase of cognition is skipped, bypassed or forgotten, mostly due to bad habits, is where there are the greatest costs and negative impacts and outcomes.
C = These are the consequences, emotions (fear, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, irritability, sadness, stress, and being alone), physical sensation (dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, and shaking), and behavior outcomes that are realized as a result of one’s beliefs, distortions, perceptions, and self-talk (life experiences) in response to the triggers.
The ABCs of Cognitive Leadership Framework is foundational to executive, leadership, and professional development. Within the roots of this framework is the opportunity for people, who strive to be successful, to understand, apply, and master a natural thought process that is deeply rooted in the mechanics of humanity – at its best. We often overlook this framework because we have been conditioned that most of the terminology is feared or shamed. Beyond this framework are proven assessment and coaching processes to identify and create measurable and lasting change in key behaviors that are either stopping you or keeping you from desired outcomes and success.
The truth and reality shows us there is exponential and organic power associated with the natural process of how our core organs function for peak vitality and sustainability. Leaders who practice and become disciplined in cognitive frameworks are optimizing and maximizing success – for their own lives, the lives of those they connect with, and the vitality of their organizations and communities. They are no longer surviving, they are thriving.
Harris Whitesell Consulting is a global business consulting firm. We offer various talent management services to include: Executive and Leadership Coaching; Executive, Leadership, Professional, Team and Organization Development; Assessments; Employee Engagement; Culture Change; Change and Transition; Succession Management; and Customer Strategies. Beyond our consulting we offer workshops and are keynote speakers. If you and your organization are interested in learning more about Cognitive Leadership or any of our services, please click to schedule an initial consultation with us, or give us a call at +1 (833) 848-7845 – Let’s Talk!
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