Mind Sets
These messages focus on how we think and act.
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Lessons from Jane Little
Jane Little was born in 1929 into a musical family. Her mother was a pianist who worked at her aunt’s dance studio. While they couldn’t afford a piano at home, Jane taught herself to play the piano using one at a neighbor’s home. Jane had hoped to become a ballerina...
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Stress and Performance
The Clarksville girls’ basketball team had rolled through their schedule. Emily Burton was averaging 30 points a game, and Clarksville was winning by a margin of 22 points. But the game against Martin High was incredibly close until midway through the last quarter....
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A Cure for Stupidity
Intuitively, one would think that a cure for stupidity would be one of gaining more knowledge. That would be true, but knowledge in this case isn’t what we imagine it to be. The knowledge that can lead to a cure for stupidity is knowledge gained by studying oneself....
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Self-Persuasion
Ellen had just been asked to assume the plant manager role at one of the lowest-performing factories in the company. She decided that the factory needed a restart, but she also knew that coming in from the outside would make change difficult. She wanted to meet with...
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Habits and Creativity
Elena was preparing for work. She had her morning routine, which she followed religiously. You could tell the day of the week it was by her outfit. She had 5 sets of work clothes, which she wore each day of the week. (Monday was a gray pantsuit and light pink blouse)....
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Unsportsmanlike Conduct
In 1970 Immaculata, a 400-student girls college, decided to begin a basketball program. They offered the job to Cathy Rush, a 22-year-old who had only moderate coaching experience. She accepted the job as a way to occupy her time since her husband was often away on...
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AI and Craftsmanship
Antonio Stradivari was born in Italy around the middle of the 17th century. In his early teens, he began an apprenticeship making stringed instruments (violins, cellos, guitars, violas, and harps). Who he apprenticed with is debated, but it probably took about four...
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Self-Efficacy
Jane McGonigal had ultimately believed that the long-term success of the business she created would be having smart hiring practices. For too long, the company had relied on standard recruiting metrics (e.g., school, major, GPA, experience, personality) to decide upon...
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