Mark O'Donnell

Educating Psychodynamically Minded Leaders Effective leadership requires deep self-awareness and psychological understanding, not just strategic skills and technical knowledge. We can, and should, better prepare prospective leaders for their exceptional responsibilities by educating them to be psychodynamically minded—capable of introspection and self-reflection, attuned to unconscious as well as conscious feelings and motivations, and able to recognize empathy and care for others as strengths. The problem is that leadership education tends to focus on generic prescriptive advice rather than psychological complexity, and much of the leadership development guidance in university courses and the tools and solutions proffered by conventional consulting and executive coaching services, despite billions in annual investment, show little measurable return. My proposal: psychodynamically-oriented education should be part of the required curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate students majoring in business, economics, political science, entrepreneurship, and technology. The curricula would teach students fundamental psychoanalytic concepts like the unconscious, defense mechanisms, and how formative relationships and childhood experiences influence decision-making, risk perception and tolerance, and shape later behavior. The success, failure, and struggles of people in leadership positions are directly related to their capacities and limitations in recognizing and effectively navigating their own psychological and emotional states. Leaders face tremendous challenges and are increasingly poised to support and influence their organizations in ways they may never have encountered before and for which technical know-how alone is inadequate. Fulfilling the demands and expectations of their role as ultimate institutional decision-makers requires thoughtfully leveraging the multifaceted complexities of their whole selves, and  is inseparable from the sort of self-understanding that psychoanalysis is uniquely qualified to enhance. Read my article on Psyche on Campus, a blog about teaching and learning #psychoanalysis in colleges and universities and beyond (and which was awarded the 2022 Excellence in Journalism Prize from the American Psychoanalytic Association), edited by U Penn Professor Max Cavitch. https://lnkd.in/eT2gB-be Dolus Advisors #leadership #decisionmaking #risk #consulting #education

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Master Your Calling Process – The 4-Step R & B - Relationship Building (lead generation) Framework Relationship Building (lead generation) Framework isn’t just about reaching out; it’s about reaching out with purpose. Let’s dive into the 4-Step Calling Process that will make your R & B calls intentional and effective. Step 4: The 4-Step Calling Process If you’ve been using the 2025 DTD2 framework, you know how important structure is. Here’s how to apply that framework to your calls: A. Greeting and setting the time and tone for the conversation: Hi Ken, I Monica - I know you are busy and I only have a minute - do you have a couple minutes to catch up? B. Engagement Ford Question – Engage them with a question that involves: F - Family - How are you and the family doing? How are the kids? How are you and your spouse doing? Are many headed off to college? O - How's work? Are you still loving being an XYZ, nurse, insurance agent, stay-at-home mom, etc? Where are you working these days? Are you still able to work from home? R -Recreation: Are you a professional pickleball player yet? Are you still golfing? Have you bought that RV you talked about? D—Dreams—I know you talked about buying a sailboat. Is that still in the cards? Are you still looking to move out of state? C. Purpose or Intention of Call - The reason I am calling is: to invite you to XYZ, I'd like to invite you to our raffle for XYZ. I'll check in on you and tell you that I always do a real estate review, and I have done yours. Also, I'd like to see if you need a referral for anyone, such as handymen, painters, plumbers, etc. Offer Value – Provide a small value, whether a solution, resource, or insight. Want to connect and come up with your customized plan? Schedule here: https://lnkd.in/en6HzsPE Keep in mind - at some point, they are going to ask how you are doing. Your response should include how much you love XYZ (your business and how you help others). Comment below what your response would be! ---- 👉 Love my content? ☑ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/ePnY7p3n 👉 Found this helpful? Share it! ♻️

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GETTING THE DIAGNOSIS RIGHT BEFORE TRAINING BEGINS: I meant to post this a few weeks ago! Before launching a professional development or learning initiative, it’s critical to get the diagnosis right. Generic training will yield generic results, which may be fine in some cases. But if your organization is facing specific challenges unique to its culture, structure, or operations, a one-size-fits-all training won’t solve the problem. Tailoring learning initiatives to address the root cause is the key to meaningful impact.

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A guide to check in on your GAME PLAN: ✅ Gifts – Are you fully utilizing your natural talents and strengths? ✅ Attributes – What personal qualities are setting you apart? What areas need growth? ✅ Motivations – Are you still fueled by the "why" behind your goals? Has it shifted? ✅ Experience – How are you leveraging past lessons to create future wins? 🎯 Playground – Are you in the right environment to thrive? 🎯 Leverage – What relationships, skills, or tools are you maximizing? 🎯 Articulate – Can you clearly communicate your value? (Online & offline!) 🎯 Nurture – How are you investing in continuous learning & self-improvement? So, where are you with your GAME PLAN? Are you winning? Pivoting? Stuck? #designyourcareergameplan #keepshining #soar #professionaldevelopment #careergrowth #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment

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