Leading Outside Your Comfort Zone

D. Christopher Kayes is Professor and Chair of the Department of Management at The George Washington University School of Business. He is the author or co-author and editor of five books: Judgment and Leadership: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Concepts, Practice and Development, Contemporary Organizational Behavior: From Ideas to Action; Organizational Resilience: How Learning Sustains Organizations in Crisis, Disaster, and Breakdown; The Learning Advantage: Six Practices of Learning-Directed Leadership; and Destructive Goal Pursuit: The Mt. Everest Disaster.

"In an era of global uncertainty, Kayes provides leaders tools and skills to move outside their comfort zones while learning resilience. This book provides a pathway to support leaders and their teams in demanding environments."—Gavin M. Schwarz, UNSW Sydney Business School "Based on his experience as a scholar, educator, and consultant, Kayes explains how leaders develop well-being and the ability to learn continuously—through adversity. This book will help leaders make decisions and act in the face of complexity, ambiguity, change, and uncertainty to drive team and organizational performance." —Matthew Eriksen, Raymond T. Butkus Professorship in Management, Providence College "Weaves research findings and case studies with a useful guide for leaders, professionals, educators, and anyone wanting to strengthen their resilience and well-being."—Ellen B. Van Oosten, Professor of Organizational Behavior, Director of the Coaching Research Lab at Case, and co-author of Helping People Change "Kayes squarely hits the most critical aspect of leading: you cannot lead others effectively until you can lead yourself. Veteran leaders realize that safe spaces rarely exist, being triggered is often discretionary, and leadership itself can be stressful. This book is for leaders who have the courage to grow and to rethink their approaches to living, learning, and leading."—J. Goosby Smith, Vice President for Community Belonging and Chief Diversity Officer, Pepperdine University

• PrefaceIntroduction: Rising to the Outsized Demands of LeadershipSECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF LEADING1. Moving Outside Your Comfort Zone as a Source of Growth and Well-Being: Overcoming the Anxiety-Ridden Demands of Leadership2. What Research Says About the Practice of Personal Resilience: Leading for Resilience, Growth, and Well-Being3. Achieving Optimal Improvement Through Learning and Performing: Moving Beyond the Unrealistic Expectations That Undermine Leading4. Turning Adverse Events into Opportunities for Growth: Accepting Adverse Factors Beyond Your Control SECTION 2: FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSESSECTION 2: FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSES5. Cultivating Novel Experiences: The Experiences That Count for Developing as a Leader6. Accepting Unpleasant Emotions: Growth from Frustration and Other Painful Emotions7. Implementing Learning Strategies: Five Strategies for Resilience and Growth8. Motivating Yourself to Learn: The Psychology of Learning, Motivation, and Resilience SECTION 3: APPLICATIONSSECTION 3: APPLICATIONS9. Keeping Focused: Overcoming Distractions or Why Staying Focused Is So Difficult10. Leading Teams: Leading Through the Emotional Turmoil of Groups11. Leading Organizations: Resilience, Growth, and Well-Being at Scale12. Tiered Goal-Setting: Overcoming the Limits of Goal-Setting Through Tiered GoalsConclusion: Pathways to Leading Beyond Your Comfort Zone: A Simple Formula for Leading: Move, Sleep, LearnEpilogueNotes on MethodsNotesIndex