Intro
Welcome to Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change-Makers—where leadership is grounded in behavior, guided by dignity, and designed for change. I'm your host, Dr. Esther Bubb. Let's dive into today's episode.
Interview
WEBVTT
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Four leadership lessons from Viola Davis's memoir.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Hello, and welcome to Season 4 of Behaviorally Speaking Leadership for Changemakers.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I'm Dr. Bubb, and I'm so glad you're here. As we begin a new season, I've been reflecting on something that shaped both my personal and leadership journeys, learning.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Nearly three decades ago, I came to the United States to continue my learning. Since then, I've experienced new opportunities, new relationships, new challenges, and new perspectives.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Every one of those experiences has taught me something about myself, people, behavior, leadership, and change.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Over the past year, my learning has accelerated, though. A new role, a podcast, a blog, new audiences, new relationships, continued graduate studies, and perhaps most importantly.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A whole lot more reading, yes!
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Dr. Esther Bubb: One of the books that impacted me quite profoundly was Viola Davis' memoir, Finding Me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Today, I'm not reviewing the book. I'm not telling you whether you should read it.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Instead, I want to explore 4 leadership lessons I discovered while reading it, and discuss what those lessons can teach us about leadership through a behavioral lens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As I read Finding Me, I continued to be reminded that leadership begins long before we lead anyone else.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It begins with understanding ourselves. So, let's talk about it.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: the book.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Published in 2022, Finding Me takes readers through Viola Davis' journey from childhood hardship to extraordinary professional success.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But what resonated with me most wasn't her success story.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It was her story of becoming.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding her voice, finding her identity, finding herself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: At its core, Finding Me is a story about understanding who you are beneath the labels, beneath the assumptions, and beneath the experiences that others place upon you.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As I read, four leadership lessons stood out. Let's begin with the first.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number one.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: You cannot lead people beyond the places you refuse to examine in yourself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Before we go any further, let me clarify something.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I am not suggesting that leaders must share every detail of their personal histories. Not at all.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But I do believe self-awareness is a leadership responsibility.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because whether we realize it or not, our histories show up at work.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They influence how we interpret behavior, they influence how we respond to conflict.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They influence how we receive feedback. They influence how we build trust.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And they influence the environments we create for others.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Years ago, I found myself reacting quite strongly to feedback that was thoughtful, respectful, and constructive, and yes, accurate.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The feedback itself wasn't the problem, though. The issue was that I wasn't responding to that moment. I was responding to experiences that happened long before that conversation ever took place.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Years later, that realization changed how I thought about leadership.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because sometimes we think we're responding to what's happening in front of us, in that conversational moment, when in fact, we're actually responding to something we've carried for years.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: When leaders fail to examine themselves, they risk making others carry the consequences of experiences they had absolutely nothing to do with.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And this is where behavior analysis becomes incredibly useful.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavior doesn't occur in a vacuum, it never does.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Every single behavior has a story. Every single behavior has antecedents. Every single behavior has consequences, and every single behavior occurs within a context.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Leadership behavior is no different.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The more aware we become of our own behavioral histories, the more intentional we can become in our leadership practices.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So here's the question.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What story from your past might still be influencing the way you lead today?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Spend some time in curiosity. Explore it. Learn from it. Grow through it.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because leadership starts with understanding yourself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And understanding yourself helps you discover being you and who you are becoming.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Understanding ourselves is important, but leadership isn't only about what we see in ourselves.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's also about what we choose to see in others.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That brings us to Lesson 2.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number 2.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Avoid confusing current behavior with potential.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number 2.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Avoid confusing current behavior with future potential.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: This lesson hit home for me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As leaders, We often encounter people whose current performance doesn't reflect their future possibilities.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A struggling student.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: An employee lacking confidence.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A new leader still finding their footing.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A colleague who rarely speaks up.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And sometimes, without realizing it, we create stories about them. Hmm, they don't care. They aren't capable. They're difficult. They're not leadership material.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But what if we're wrong?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Imagine a student who struggles during the first month of school.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: By October, people may already have conclusions about that student's abilities. In fact, they may have written them off.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Yet, 6 months later, the progress report shows that same student is thriving.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So what changed? Hmm, perhaps it wasn't capability, perhaps it was opportunity, perhaps it was support, perhaps it was encouragement.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps it was creating the conditions that were necessary for that student to thrive and flourish.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps it was believing in that student and seeing in them what they could not yet see in themself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Viola Davis' story reminds us that the person standing before us today may possess possibilities that neither they know we can fully see yet.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So, great leaders ask, What hasn't been unlocked yet?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: In 2008,
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Dr. Esther Bubb: While working as a therapeutic support staff, I was supporting a student diagnosed with bipolar disorder when a colleague asked me if I had ever heard of applied behavior analysis. I had not.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: After observing how I worked with that student, he told me that the way I approached support, teaching, and problem solving reflected the principles of ABA and suggested that I pursue it professionally. He even pointed me towards St. Joseph's University.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That conversation changed the trajectory of my life.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I enrolled later that year, graduated in 2010, and became a board-certified behavior analyst in 2012.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Looking back, What stays with me most is not simply that I enter the field, which I wholeheartedly enjoy.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What stays with me is that someone saw ABA potential in me before I fully saw it in myself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That experience shaped how I lead today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It taught me the power of creating conditions where people can discover possibilities they may not yet recognize within themselves.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As behavior science teaches us, our responsibility as leaders is to create conditions that allow people to demonstrate behaviors that move them closer to success.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Sometimes encouragement changes everything. Sometimes belief becomes the catalyst. Sometimes people borrow confidence from us until they develop confidence of their own.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that's okay.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because leadership is not about limiting people to who they are today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's about helping them discover who they can become tomorrow.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: If Lesson 2 reminds us to see potential in others.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Lesson 3 reminds us to create opportunities for that potential to be expressed.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And one of the most powerful ways people express potential is through their voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number 3.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: People need opportunities to discover their voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: One of the most powerful themes in Davis's memoir is the journey of finding her voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: for me, Discovering my voice began early while growing up in Grenada.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Whether speaking in church, For me, discovering my voice began early while growing up in Grenada.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Whether speaking in church, participating in school activities, or receiving encouragement from those around me, I learned that using my voice mattered.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Those experiences reinforced my willingness to speak, contribute, and continue developing my confidence over time.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Looking back, I realized those moments helped create the conditions for me to discover and strengthen my voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A process that continues even today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Voice matters, especially in leadership.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Most leaders say they want feedback.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They say they want employees to speak up. They say they value different perspectives, but the real question is what people experience.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Voice emerges when people learn, through repeated experience, that speaking up is safe and worthwhile.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That was true for me growing up in Grenada, and it remains true today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Viola Davis' finding me reminded me of my experiences and led me to these questions.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do people feel comfortable disagreeing with us?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do we actively invite quieter voices into conversations?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do we listen without becoming defensive?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do we respond with curiosity instead of control?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavior analysis reminds us that behavior that is reinforced is more likely to occur again.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavior that is punished becomes less likely to recur.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So if people are criticized, dismissed, ignored, or shunned when they speak up, they learn a lesson. And eventually.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They stop speaking.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Then leaders find themselves asking, hmm, why didn't anyone tell me?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Well, the answer to that question is often found in the environment, because leadership is about creating conditions where voices can emerge.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding your voice can be empowering, but if you've used your voice long enough, you've probably discovered what I have.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Not everyone will agree with you.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Not everyone will appreciate what you have to say, and sometimes, speaking up comes with consequences. Yet, some of the most difficult moments in our lives often become the moments that teach us the most.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that brings me to Lesson 4.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding mean leadership lesson number 4.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Turn struggle into wisdom.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I love stories of resilience. You probably do, too.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But sometimes, we focus so much on the adversity that we miss the lesson.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Leaders often admire resilience.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But, what did the struggle teach you that benefits others now?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The value isn't merely surviving hardship.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's transforming hardship into wisdom.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's converting the experience, the difficult experience, into purpose.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's using what you learned to help someone else navigate their own journey more effectively.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I remember experiencing the dichotomy of parent perspectives years ago when working as an ABA therapist and providing ABA therapy to preschoolers with autism.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I've had several experiences, but allow me to share just two.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I remember asking one parent to leave the therapy room because her emotions were disrupting the session. To this day, she's so grateful that I was a member for Charles' team.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But, I also remember another parent who told the agency that employed me that she wanted me removed from her child's team.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I spoke up about how the preschool handled the child's disruptive behaviors during nap time. She believed my speaking up would lead to the preschool expelling her child.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Two different stories, two different outcomes, two different messages, two different lessons.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The experience that taught me the most, though, was the one where I was removed from the case. Humbling? 100% yes. Defeating? 100% no.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I've learned, I've moved on, I am where I am today, and I share that story with others, most of whom are often surprised, because in their words, you talked about?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Dr. Bobby, you? I can't believe you were removed from a case! Well, absolutely yes!
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That was me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That was me then.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Believe it or not, but it is not me today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that experience does not define me. It is not who I am.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It doesn't make me me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But it sure taught me a whole lot and led me to where I am today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What did that experience teach me?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It taught me that leadership sometimes requires making decisions that others may not immediately appreciate.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It taught me that doing the right thing and being university-liked are not always the same thing.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Most importantly, though, it taught me resilience, Humility and perspective.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Today, those lessons help me support leaders who find themselves navigating difficult conversations, competing priorities, and unpopular decisions. The experience, that experience, became wisdom.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that wisdom continues to serve both me and those that I lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Viola Davis taught us so much about her struggles.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What was your struggle?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps your struggle taught you empathy. Perhaps it taught you patience. Perhaps it taught courage. Whatever it taught you, leadership allows you to put that wisdom to work.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Not by glorifying suffering, absolutely not, but by helping others succeed without unnecessary suffering.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that, my friends, is one of leadership's greatest gifts.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As parents, we often use our experiences to help our children avoid unnecessary struggles. So, let's do the same for those we lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: When I step back and look at these four lessons together, I see something bigger.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Much bigger.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I see people becoming… becoming more self-aware, becoming more confident, becoming more resilient, becoming more willing to use their voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And the question becomes, What helps people become?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That question leads us directly to behavior analysis and the behavioral lens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The behavioral lens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: At this point, you may be wondering, hmm, Esther, where does behavior analysis fit into all of this? Right here.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavioral analysis teaches us to look beyond judgment and toward understanding.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Rather than asking, what's wrong with this person, we ask.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What conditions are influencing this behavior?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Rather than saying, hmm, they don't care, we ask.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What barriers might be affecting engagement?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Rather than concluding, well, they aren't leadership material, We ask…
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What support might help them demonstrate leadership?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That shift in our approach is far-reaching.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because when we move beyond judgment and toward understanding, we create space for growth.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Growth in ourselves, growth in the people we lead, and growth toward the possibilities we may not yet see.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that's what I appreciate most about the behavioral lens. It reminds us to remain curious, to seek understanding before judgment, to look beyond what we immediately see.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And when we do that consistently, it begins to shape not only how we understand behavior.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But also, how we lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: In fact, It leads me to a refrain that has become central to my own leadership philosophy.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The Leadership Reframe.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: My leadership refrain from finding me is this.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Leadership isn't just helping people become better at what they're already doing.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's about helping people discover possibilities they didn't even know existed.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Here's my leadership philosophy.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: People can grow to more than they know.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: My mission is helping people discover possibilities within themselves.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And my vision will always be creating conditions where people realize they are capable of more than they believed possible.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps you're listening and thinking, Well, Esther, that sounds great, but where do I store it?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The good news is that meaningful leadership growth often begins with one small shift in perspective.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That's exactly what this week's Monday Morning Move is designed to help you do.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The Monday morning move.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So, here's your Monday morning move.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Think about one person you lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Just one.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And… Ask yourself, What story have I already created about this person? Hmm…
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What evidence do I actually have for that story?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And… What condition could I change that might allow this person to demonstrate something different?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Then, write down your answers.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because… Awareness without action?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: doesn't create change.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Change something in the environment. Change the opportunity. Change the support. Change the feedback. Change whatever needs to be changed. Then, observe what happens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: You might discover that the breakthrough may not come from changing the person. It may come from changing the conditions.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: If finding me taught me anything, it's this.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Every person is becoming.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: You… Me, the people we lead. None of us are finished products. So…
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The focus of leadership should never be defining people's limits.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It should always be about creating conditions where those we lead can discover their possibilities. So this week.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Read widely.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Listen carefully.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Stay curious, and… yourself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What leadership lesson is hiding in plain sight?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I'm Dr. Bubb, and this has been Behaviorally Speaking Leadership for Changemakers.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Until next time, Lead with intention.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Practice with humanity, and Create the conditions for people to become more than they ever taught possible.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Thank you for listening.
Outro
Thank you for listening to Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change-Makers. Be sure to visit esthercbubbabaservices.com/blog for today's companion blog and additional leadership resources. Until next time, create the conditions for growth wherever you lead. I'm Dr. Esther Bubb. Stay inspired.
Welcome to Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change-Makers—where leadership is grounded in behavior, guided by dignity, and designed for change. I'm your host, Dr. Esther Bubb. Let's dive into today's episode.
Interview
WEBVTT
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Four leadership lessons from Viola Davis's memoir.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Hello, and welcome to Season 4 of Behaviorally Speaking Leadership for Changemakers.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I'm Dr. Bubb, and I'm so glad you're here. As we begin a new season, I've been reflecting on something that shaped both my personal and leadership journeys, learning.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Nearly three decades ago, I came to the United States to continue my learning. Since then, I've experienced new opportunities, new relationships, new challenges, and new perspectives.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Every one of those experiences has taught me something about myself, people, behavior, leadership, and change.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Over the past year, my learning has accelerated, though. A new role, a podcast, a blog, new audiences, new relationships, continued graduate studies, and perhaps most importantly.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A whole lot more reading, yes!
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Dr. Esther Bubb: One of the books that impacted me quite profoundly was Viola Davis' memoir, Finding Me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Today, I'm not reviewing the book. I'm not telling you whether you should read it.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Instead, I want to explore 4 leadership lessons I discovered while reading it, and discuss what those lessons can teach us about leadership through a behavioral lens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As I read Finding Me, I continued to be reminded that leadership begins long before we lead anyone else.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It begins with understanding ourselves. So, let's talk about it.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: the book.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Published in 2022, Finding Me takes readers through Viola Davis' journey from childhood hardship to extraordinary professional success.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But what resonated with me most wasn't her success story.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It was her story of becoming.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding her voice, finding her identity, finding herself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: At its core, Finding Me is a story about understanding who you are beneath the labels, beneath the assumptions, and beneath the experiences that others place upon you.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As I read, four leadership lessons stood out. Let's begin with the first.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number one.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: You cannot lead people beyond the places you refuse to examine in yourself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Before we go any further, let me clarify something.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I am not suggesting that leaders must share every detail of their personal histories. Not at all.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But I do believe self-awareness is a leadership responsibility.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because whether we realize it or not, our histories show up at work.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They influence how we interpret behavior, they influence how we respond to conflict.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They influence how we receive feedback. They influence how we build trust.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And they influence the environments we create for others.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Years ago, I found myself reacting quite strongly to feedback that was thoughtful, respectful, and constructive, and yes, accurate.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The feedback itself wasn't the problem, though. The issue was that I wasn't responding to that moment. I was responding to experiences that happened long before that conversation ever took place.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Years later, that realization changed how I thought about leadership.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because sometimes we think we're responding to what's happening in front of us, in that conversational moment, when in fact, we're actually responding to something we've carried for years.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: When leaders fail to examine themselves, they risk making others carry the consequences of experiences they had absolutely nothing to do with.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And this is where behavior analysis becomes incredibly useful.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavior doesn't occur in a vacuum, it never does.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Every single behavior has a story. Every single behavior has antecedents. Every single behavior has consequences, and every single behavior occurs within a context.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Leadership behavior is no different.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The more aware we become of our own behavioral histories, the more intentional we can become in our leadership practices.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So here's the question.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What story from your past might still be influencing the way you lead today?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Spend some time in curiosity. Explore it. Learn from it. Grow through it.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because leadership starts with understanding yourself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And understanding yourself helps you discover being you and who you are becoming.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Understanding ourselves is important, but leadership isn't only about what we see in ourselves.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's also about what we choose to see in others.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That brings us to Lesson 2.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number 2.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Avoid confusing current behavior with potential.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number 2.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Avoid confusing current behavior with future potential.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: This lesson hit home for me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As leaders, We often encounter people whose current performance doesn't reflect their future possibilities.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A struggling student.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: An employee lacking confidence.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A new leader still finding their footing.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A colleague who rarely speaks up.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And sometimes, without realizing it, we create stories about them. Hmm, they don't care. They aren't capable. They're difficult. They're not leadership material.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But what if we're wrong?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Imagine a student who struggles during the first month of school.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: By October, people may already have conclusions about that student's abilities. In fact, they may have written them off.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Yet, 6 months later, the progress report shows that same student is thriving.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So what changed? Hmm, perhaps it wasn't capability, perhaps it was opportunity, perhaps it was support, perhaps it was encouragement.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps it was creating the conditions that were necessary for that student to thrive and flourish.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps it was believing in that student and seeing in them what they could not yet see in themself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Viola Davis' story reminds us that the person standing before us today may possess possibilities that neither they know we can fully see yet.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So, great leaders ask, What hasn't been unlocked yet?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: In 2008,
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Dr. Esther Bubb: While working as a therapeutic support staff, I was supporting a student diagnosed with bipolar disorder when a colleague asked me if I had ever heard of applied behavior analysis. I had not.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: After observing how I worked with that student, he told me that the way I approached support, teaching, and problem solving reflected the principles of ABA and suggested that I pursue it professionally. He even pointed me towards St. Joseph's University.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That conversation changed the trajectory of my life.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I enrolled later that year, graduated in 2010, and became a board-certified behavior analyst in 2012.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Looking back, What stays with me most is not simply that I enter the field, which I wholeheartedly enjoy.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What stays with me is that someone saw ABA potential in me before I fully saw it in myself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That experience shaped how I lead today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It taught me the power of creating conditions where people can discover possibilities they may not yet recognize within themselves.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As behavior science teaches us, our responsibility as leaders is to create conditions that allow people to demonstrate behaviors that move them closer to success.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Sometimes encouragement changes everything. Sometimes belief becomes the catalyst. Sometimes people borrow confidence from us until they develop confidence of their own.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that's okay.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because leadership is not about limiting people to who they are today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's about helping them discover who they can become tomorrow.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: If Lesson 2 reminds us to see potential in others.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Lesson 3 reminds us to create opportunities for that potential to be expressed.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And one of the most powerful ways people express potential is through their voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding me leadership lesson number 3.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: People need opportunities to discover their voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: One of the most powerful themes in Davis's memoir is the journey of finding her voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: for me, Discovering my voice began early while growing up in Grenada.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Whether speaking in church, For me, discovering my voice began early while growing up in Grenada.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Whether speaking in church, participating in school activities, or receiving encouragement from those around me, I learned that using my voice mattered.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Those experiences reinforced my willingness to speak, contribute, and continue developing my confidence over time.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Looking back, I realized those moments helped create the conditions for me to discover and strengthen my voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: A process that continues even today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Voice matters, especially in leadership.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Most leaders say they want feedback.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They say they want employees to speak up. They say they value different perspectives, but the real question is what people experience.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Voice emerges when people learn, through repeated experience, that speaking up is safe and worthwhile.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That was true for me growing up in Grenada, and it remains true today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Viola Davis' finding me reminded me of my experiences and led me to these questions.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do people feel comfortable disagreeing with us?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do we actively invite quieter voices into conversations?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do we listen without becoming defensive?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Do we respond with curiosity instead of control?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavior analysis reminds us that behavior that is reinforced is more likely to occur again.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavior that is punished becomes less likely to recur.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So if people are criticized, dismissed, ignored, or shunned when they speak up, they learn a lesson. And eventually.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: They stop speaking.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Then leaders find themselves asking, hmm, why didn't anyone tell me?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Well, the answer to that question is often found in the environment, because leadership is about creating conditions where voices can emerge.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding your voice can be empowering, but if you've used your voice long enough, you've probably discovered what I have.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Not everyone will agree with you.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Not everyone will appreciate what you have to say, and sometimes, speaking up comes with consequences. Yet, some of the most difficult moments in our lives often become the moments that teach us the most.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that brings me to Lesson 4.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Finding mean leadership lesson number 4.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Turn struggle into wisdom.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I love stories of resilience. You probably do, too.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But sometimes, we focus so much on the adversity that we miss the lesson.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Leaders often admire resilience.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But, what did the struggle teach you that benefits others now?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The value isn't merely surviving hardship.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's transforming hardship into wisdom.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's converting the experience, the difficult experience, into purpose.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's using what you learned to help someone else navigate their own journey more effectively.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I remember experiencing the dichotomy of parent perspectives years ago when working as an ABA therapist and providing ABA therapy to preschoolers with autism.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I've had several experiences, but allow me to share just two.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I remember asking one parent to leave the therapy room because her emotions were disrupting the session. To this day, she's so grateful that I was a member for Charles' team.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But, I also remember another parent who told the agency that employed me that she wanted me removed from her child's team.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I spoke up about how the preschool handled the child's disruptive behaviors during nap time. She believed my speaking up would lead to the preschool expelling her child.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Two different stories, two different outcomes, two different messages, two different lessons.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The experience that taught me the most, though, was the one where I was removed from the case. Humbling? 100% yes. Defeating? 100% no.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I've learned, I've moved on, I am where I am today, and I share that story with others, most of whom are often surprised, because in their words, you talked about?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Dr. Bobby, you? I can't believe you were removed from a case! Well, absolutely yes!
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That was me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That was me then.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Believe it or not, but it is not me today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that experience does not define me. It is not who I am.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It doesn't make me me.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But it sure taught me a whole lot and led me to where I am today.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What did that experience teach me?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It taught me that leadership sometimes requires making decisions that others may not immediately appreciate.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It taught me that doing the right thing and being university-liked are not always the same thing.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Most importantly, though, it taught me resilience, Humility and perspective.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Today, those lessons help me support leaders who find themselves navigating difficult conversations, competing priorities, and unpopular decisions. The experience, that experience, became wisdom.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that wisdom continues to serve both me and those that I lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Viola Davis taught us so much about her struggles.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What was your struggle?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps your struggle taught you empathy. Perhaps it taught you patience. Perhaps it taught courage. Whatever it taught you, leadership allows you to put that wisdom to work.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Not by glorifying suffering, absolutely not, but by helping others succeed without unnecessary suffering.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that, my friends, is one of leadership's greatest gifts.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: As parents, we often use our experiences to help our children avoid unnecessary struggles. So, let's do the same for those we lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: When I step back and look at these four lessons together, I see something bigger.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Much bigger.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I see people becoming… becoming more self-aware, becoming more confident, becoming more resilient, becoming more willing to use their voice.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And the question becomes, What helps people become?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That question leads us directly to behavior analysis and the behavioral lens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The behavioral lens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: At this point, you may be wondering, hmm, Esther, where does behavior analysis fit into all of this? Right here.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Behavioral analysis teaches us to look beyond judgment and toward understanding.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Rather than asking, what's wrong with this person, we ask.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What conditions are influencing this behavior?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Rather than saying, hmm, they don't care, we ask.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What barriers might be affecting engagement?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Rather than concluding, well, they aren't leadership material, We ask…
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What support might help them demonstrate leadership?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That shift in our approach is far-reaching.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because when we move beyond judgment and toward understanding, we create space for growth.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Growth in ourselves, growth in the people we lead, and growth toward the possibilities we may not yet see.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And that's what I appreciate most about the behavioral lens. It reminds us to remain curious, to seek understanding before judgment, to look beyond what we immediately see.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And when we do that consistently, it begins to shape not only how we understand behavior.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: But also, how we lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: In fact, It leads me to a refrain that has become central to my own leadership philosophy.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The Leadership Reframe.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: My leadership refrain from finding me is this.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Leadership isn't just helping people become better at what they're already doing.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It's about helping people discover possibilities they didn't even know existed.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Here's my leadership philosophy.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: People can grow to more than they know.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: My mission is helping people discover possibilities within themselves.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And my vision will always be creating conditions where people realize they are capable of more than they believed possible.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Perhaps you're listening and thinking, Well, Esther, that sounds great, but where do I store it?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The good news is that meaningful leadership growth often begins with one small shift in perspective.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: That's exactly what this week's Monday Morning Move is designed to help you do.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The Monday morning move.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: So, here's your Monday morning move.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Think about one person you lead.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Just one.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And… Ask yourself, What story have I already created about this person? Hmm…
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What evidence do I actually have for that story?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: And… What condition could I change that might allow this person to demonstrate something different?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Then, write down your answers.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Because… Awareness without action?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: doesn't create change.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Change something in the environment. Change the opportunity. Change the support. Change the feedback. Change whatever needs to be changed. Then, observe what happens.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: You might discover that the breakthrough may not come from changing the person. It may come from changing the conditions.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: If finding me taught me anything, it's this.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Every person is becoming.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: You… Me, the people we lead. None of us are finished products. So…
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Dr. Esther Bubb: The focus of leadership should never be defining people's limits.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: It should always be about creating conditions where those we lead can discover their possibilities. So this week.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Read widely.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Listen carefully.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Stay curious, and… yourself.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: What leadership lesson is hiding in plain sight?
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Dr. Esther Bubb: I'm Dr. Bubb, and this has been Behaviorally Speaking Leadership for Changemakers.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Until next time, Lead with intention.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Practice with humanity, and Create the conditions for people to become more than they ever taught possible.
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Dr. Esther Bubb: Thank you for listening.
Outro
Thank you for listening to Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change-Makers. Be sure to visit esthercbubbabaservices.com/blog for today's companion blog and additional leadership resources. Until next time, create the conditions for growth wherever you lead. I'm Dr. Esther Bubb. Stay inspired.
