The Main Thing:

If you listen to interviews with famous and successful people, whether athletes, political leaders, or Hollywood stars, you will hear a similar theme: that they, like many of us, suffer from a fear of failure. This fear is common, regardless of our financial status or social standing.

So, why do we fret about failing? The answer lies in our DNA. Fear is a fundamental part of our brain's architecture, a survival mechanism honed over millions of years of evolution. This fear has enabled our species to thrive in the natural world.

Why are we so afraid of failing? Especially today, when the things we fail at most often have nothing to do with our ability to survive. That is true, but our brains haven't caught up with our society and technology. Therefore, we fear failure because we think it is tied to our survival when it is only tied to our ego.

Let's return to the core of this discussion. I shared my insights on fear in a previous piece. Remember, fear of failure is a common thread that binds us all. Don't let it hold you back. It's a straightforward read, so dive in without hesitation.

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​Read more here.

Focus on Leadership

​Forget Retirement. Think “Rewirement.” by Anne Chow | Kellogg Insight

Forget everything you thought you knew about retirement. Former AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow introduces a fresh perspective she calls "rewirement" - a purposeful pivot from corporate leadership to meaningful impact. After 32 years climbing the corporate ladder, she's now sharing hard-earned wisdom about navigating this tricky transition. Whether you're contemplating your next chapter or just curious about what comes after the corner office, Chow's insights on planning, purpose, and personal identity offer a compelling roadmap for reimagining life after a high-powered career.

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​Five bold moves to quickly transform your organization’s culture by Brooke Weddle, John Parsons, and Wyman Howard with Andy Voelker | McKinsey & Company

Looking to transform your company culture? Take a cue from an unexpected source - Taylor Swift. A new McKinsey analysis reveals how the pop star's approach to fan engagement offers surprising lessons for business leaders struggling with workplace culture. With 20% of employees reporting a lack of community at work and disengagement costing major companies hundreds of millions annually, McKinsey outlines five powerful strategies for creating a culture where people truly feel they "belong with" your organization. Their research shows that in today's hybrid work world, it's not just about telling people they belong - it's about showing them.

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​A Stanford professor explains how to develop the communication skill that sets great leaders apart by Francis J. Flynn | Fast Company

Want to know the secret to cutting through today's business buzzword jungle? Take a lesson from Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, nicknamed "the Great Explainer." While modern executives often drown their audiences in jargon and endless PowerPoint slides, Feynman could explain quantum mechanics to anyone. A fascinating new article reveals his approach through the S-I-M-P-L-E formula: Slogans, Images, Metaphors, Parables, Lists, and Examples. In a world where communication is becoming increasingly complex and unclear, these six powerful tools offer a pathway to turn even the most complicated concepts into messages that stick. Whether you're an engineer explaining an innovation or a leader outlining a vision, mastering these techniques could make you your organization's next "Great Explainer."

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Other Articles of Interest this week:

Technology -- Four Tips for Staying Ahead of AI Disruption by MIT Sloan Management Review |Interview -- In this brief video, IT leader Dr. John Halamka of the Mayo Clinic shares four strategies for leaders navigating the tumultuous age of AI.

Economic Development -- The Hidden Costs of Incentive-Driven Site Selection by LocationAdvisor.com -- When businesses consider expanding or relocating, site selection often involves assessing the incentives offered by local, state, or regional governments. Understanding these concealed drawbacks is essential for making informed decisions in site selection.

City/Rural -- National League of Cities Releases New “Frontlines” Report Highlighting Proven Strategies to Rebuild Trust & Promote Community Engagement -- by National League of Cities Press Release -- In a new National League of Cities (NLC) report, On the Frontlines of Today’s Cities: Civil Discourse, Engagement & Trust Building, building on its 2022 survey, NLC has compiled a collection of best practices to improve civil discourse in America’s cities, towns and villages starting in our local communities.

Green Economy-- ExxonMobil urges Trump not to withdraw from Paris Agreement again by Lamar Johnson | -- “A second U.S. exit from the Paris Climate Agreement will have profound implications for the United States’ efforts to reduce its own emissions,” an Exxon spokesperson told ESG Dive.

Mentoring-- 4 Coaching Stages Every Leader Should Master to Help Others Grow by Darian Shimy | Entrepreneur -- Effective mentorship involves adapting your approach to match each person's growth stage, ultimately guiding them toward independence and the ability to mentor others.

Something You Should Read:

Stephanie Shelton is an economist known for ‘Modern Monetary Theory’ which says that “that governments can spend more freely than conventional monetary theory assumes. MMT is based on the idea that governments that issue their own currency can print money to fund spending without being limited by taxes or borrowing”

Got it? No? Then you need to read Stephanie Shelton’s book, The Deficit Myth. She is a proponent of MMT and in this recent post she talks about trade deficits and tariffs. This is an important topic when it comes to economic development and jobs.

Go the end and watch the video one of her students put together. It’s an eye opener.

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​You can read the post here.

Overheard :

“Mankind was not meant to suffer—bliss is our nature. The individual is cosmic. Let’s rock."

–David Lynch

Listen, Eat, Drink, WATCH, Read, View

Are you a jerk? Has your life gone off the rails? I highly doubt it. Most of the readers of Curated Morning, if not all, are upstanding, empathetic, lovely people. But hey, we all have our moments, right? So, there may be a few of the traits in this video that you might want to pay attention to.

This video would be funny if it weren’t true in most ways. We know people like the one in this video. Again, some of these traits or behaviors are ones that we may have or know some people or loved ones have. Horrors!

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​Why not give it a watch? Then, take some time to reflect. Are there areas in your life where you could be a bit better? It’s never too late to make a change.

Listen, Eat, Drink, WATCH, Read, View

At the end of this video, someone exclaims, “This is the only place something like this could actually happen.” And what is this thing that happened? It’s a spontaneous dance party that ignites the spirit of the moment, causing people to drop their inhibitions and move to the groove, so to speak.

All they had to do was stand on a sticker in a park in New York City, and a dance party would break out.

It was a break during a busy day for those nearby, and who couldn’t help themselves and break out into a dance?

It's like those surprise flash dances that were all the rage a while back. There are countless videos of planned flash dances online, but the one that stands out is the surprise dance for Oprah Winfrey. It was a celebration of the 24th season of her talk show, and the look of joy and surprise on her face is truly something to behold.

You can watch the flash mob for Oprah here.

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As for the dance party, are you feeling inspired to bring this joy to your community? Can it happen in places besides NYC? The answer is a resounding yes! You can make it happen. Watch it here and start planning your own dance party. ​

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LISTEN, Eat, Drink, WATCH, Read

The original Mary Poppins movie (1964) starring Julie Andrews may have been one of the first movies I ever saw in a movie theatre. It featured animation mixed in with live shots of actors. I still remember the scenes today of the cartoon characters mixed in with real live people. In 1964, when the movie was released the technology wasn’t quite what it is today so it was quite an achievement.

Although the movie centered around the character of Mary Poppins, played by Julie Andrews (for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress), it also included a young Dick Van Dyke. He really stole the show. His lithe, skinny and rubbery body provided for delightful dance moves in the movie. He was already a star when the movie was shot as he had a television show with Mary Tyler Moore that was a hit.

Today, Van Dyke is 99 years old and still spry. Evidence of this is in this heartwarming and beautiful video with Cold Play’s Chris Martin. Van Dyke dances and moves fluidly while Martin plays the piano and sings ‘All My Love’ from Cold Play’s new album Moon Music. At the end of the video, Martin remarkably creates a song from Scratch to Van Dyke’s delight.

There are multiple videos to view. First, the Cold Play music video can be found here.

The next video, which you can link to here, is a guest appearance by Dick Van Dyke and Chris Martin on the Jimmy Kimmel Show discussing the album.

Finally, here is clip from Mary Poppins that shows off the dancing talent of Dick Van Dyke.

Thanks for Reading

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Whenever you’re ready, there are several ways I can help you:

1. Economic Development: If you are looking to supercharge your economic development organization, I can help by strategizing and developing a roadmap to success. Set up a time to talk to me here.

2. Culture Change; Is your organization changing? Would you like to create an asset out of your culture? Do you know how to assess team strengths? Let me help you. I'm a certified culture change practitioner. Set up a time to talk to me here.

3. The Green Economy; The world is changing. Some of it is positive, and some of the change is not. Let me help you develop green economy opportunities for your community. Set up some time to talk about here.​

4. Mentoring Programs: Circles of Seven (C7) is a proven and award-winning model for mentoring. Whether it is for business or your community leadership program, I can develop a mentoring program for you. Let's talk about your situation. Set up a time here. ​

If you have any thoughts or comments regarding any articles in this newsletter please feel free to contact me through email at martin@martinkarlconsulting.com.​

You can review my services and offerings at www.martinkarlconsulting.com​

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