Crina and Harry Meintassis are talking in this podcast about antifragility. This is how we use everything as fuel for your growth, as a source of living our full potential.

 

Listen to Mind the Training Podcast onSpotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or any other streaming platform.

What is antifragility:

  • The ‘Fragile’ breaks under stress, or volatility; the ‘Antifragile’, grows, gets better from it.
  • Antifragility is how we use everything as fuel for your growth, as a source of living our full potential.
  • How we fuel our fire by whatever gets in our way… How we turn adversity to advantage, use obstacles as opportunities to grow. We don’t just bounce back, we bounce forward!

 

Why antifragility is critical now:

  • Covid changed how we think, feel and live.
  • 2/3 of people are anxious, stressed or experiencing burnout.
  • Skills are becoming obsolete – Learning is the key. By 2040 60% of skills will be obsolete
  • We all have a fundamental question to answer – do I just want to ‘survive’, or grow and thrive? Do I want to live my full potential?

The winners will find new ways to understand and embrace this new reality and become “antifragile.”

Antifragility = Learning Agility + Intentional Growth. A key mindset for leaders, teachers, parents and everyone to be able to live a full life and help others be at their best.

 

How do we build antifragility?

  • Re-frame how you look at challenges. Look at things differently. Life happens to us (reactive) VS life happens for us (opportunity). Mindfulness can help us move from ‘autopilot’ and ‘habitual reactions’ (usually negative) to choosing how we want to think and respond. The power of shifting our perception, seeing something from a completely different view.
  • Learned optimism. Even if 40% of our optimistic outlook is wired through our genes, optimism is a trainable skill. Real optimism is not just hoping for a better tomorrow, but taking personal responsibility, ownership, and working towards this future.
  • Victim vs Master. Choosing our attitude: From ‘why me’ to ‘what needs to get done’. Choosing our response is our ultimate freedom. The power of ‘Amor Fati’ – accepting instead of denying ‘reality’, embracing the challenges. A weaker person needs things to be a certain way. The truly unstoppable person loves it all because they can make the most of it.
  • Optimise your stress levels. Stress is not the enemy; it gives us energy and focus. Learn how to switch from high intensity to relaxation. Take recovery as seriously as you take your work. At any given time, you should either be working as intensely and productively as possible or you should be recovering as deeply as possible.
  • Be an intentional learner. Assume various learning strategies. Always ask these 3 questions: what did I do well, what didn’t do well, what are you do to get better? Show up with a Growth Mindset. Use feedback as a learning opportunity. Be a ‘learner’ – curious, open minded, humble – not just an ‘expert’ – someone who assumes he knows it all.

 

How leaders build antifragile organisations and teams

  • Start with Purpose. Not just goals and KPIs, but bring the ‘why’. We want meaning. If we are deprived by meaning, we are getting diminished. disengaged. We all have a purpose, if is aligned with that of their organization, we feel alive and engaged. Burnout is more ‘emotional’, rather than about the workload per se.
  • Show us as a Caring, Compassionate Leader. See the person behind the role. Show empathy and compassion. Listen! Deeply. Full attention means listening deeply, without judgment. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Show up as your authentic self and be willing to share your fears, concerns, and imperfections.
  • Lead with trust and a growth mindset. Reframe failures as learning moments. Build ‘psychological safety’, where people are encouraged to bring up new ideas, questions, concerns or accepting mistakes.

 

Final note

Antifragility and happiness are closely correlated. True fulfilment comes when we step outside our comfort zone, when we adopt a creative spirit, when we dare to discover, instead of only reacting to life’s events. It is ultimately a Choice.

 

Resources

Books

  • Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
  • Learned Optimism – Martin Seligman
  • The Positive Side of Stress – Kelly McGonigal
  • The How of Happiness – Sonja Lyubomirsky
  • Antifragile – Nassim Taleb

 

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