Archive for the ‘Stress’ Category

We all need somebody to lean on

18th June 2010 by juliediamond 1 Comment

In a post-game interview, L.A. Laker Ron Artest thanks his psychiatrist for helping him relax under the intense pressure of the playoffs.

First reactions to his comments were critical, yet when players thank God or Jesus for help, which they often do, I rarely hear criticism about that.
In my mind, the two are not not [...]

Exams, Reality Shows and Other Rites of Passage

9th June 2010 by juliediamond 1 Comment

There’s been an explosion of reality TV contests – the Next Big Whatever Star. While the chance to become a celebrity lures contestants, I think it’s the grueling rite of passage that lures viewers. Last month we had exams at the Process Work Institute, which were fairly intense 3 day affairs, with 5 different exams [...]

The high cost of peak performance

15th February 2010 by juliediamond No Comments

Last week the American Psychiatric Associations released a draft of DSM-V, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The final version is set to come out in May 2013. It has a number of proposed revisions which have been widely blogged about, including a new diagnosis of hypersexuality. In just about every post I’ve [...]

Up Close and Personal, Sort Of

27th May 2008 by juliediamond No Comments

It’s been quiet on the blog, but not due to a lack of activity. It’s riding season, and I keep forgetting how much it takes to get in shape early in the season. Reach the Beach in 100 degrees was a sufferfest. But that’s not the only thing keeping me busy. Last Tuesday was the [...]

Public Life, Private Selves

15th May 2008 by juliediamond No Comments

The following post begins to explore the question of abuse of power, or failures of power. In my earlier post I asked, can we learn how to use power well, like we learn how to ride a bike, or does power really have some corrupting influence? Which, if any, features related to high rank alters [...]

Leading under Fire

24th April 2008 by juliediamond No Comments

I don’t believe leadership is best served by the parallels drawn to war and sports. It doesn’t capture the sense of service and eldership at the heart of leadership. But I do see one reason why military and sports metaphors are so often used to describe leadership challenges. War and sport have in common the [...]

Leadership Development, Emotional Intelligence and Surviving the Fog of War

10th April 2008 by juliediamond No Comments

Photos taken of U.S. Presidents before and after their terms in office show what a huge toll that job takes on the body. In the four years between inauguration day and the end of term, Presidents often look like they’ve aged 10, not just 4 years.
It’s a grueling job, with a lot of pressure. What [...]