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James Buchanan: Warring Hemispheres! Agile Leadership and the Left and Right Brain Divide
Event Details
Time: July 23, 2012 from 6pm to 8pm
Location: Tivoli Student Union Room 320 A&B
Street: 900 Auraria Pkwy
City/Town: Denver
Website or Map: http://www.tivoli.org/tivoli/…
Phone: 303.556.2755
Event Type: meeting
Organized By: Somnath Ghosh
Latest Activity: Jul 26, 2012
Event Description
Abstract:
Agile is not just a Software development practice, but a philosophy that has grown out valuing the creativity and inspiration of right-brain thinking. In our left-brain dominated world we aggrandize using systems and controlling behaviors to support a rigorous belief that data and oversight can ensure safety and success of our projects without fail. This mindset can provide some value, but it leaves personal accountability and inspiration on the sidelines for many team members. Agile is a reflection of a rising in our human consciousness for more balance in how we work, how we solve problems, and how we work as leaders. This conversation will energize thought around the nature of how we work, what motivates us, and how to challenge ourselves to become adaptive leaders using whole brain thinking in our lives and problem solving.
Learning Outcomes:
You will gain a wider understanding of the human psychology that underlies work, motivation, and leadership. Insights into our nature will give you the power to create space for others to lead. You will learn the time to govern our teams, and the time not to. You will begin to think of how humanistic values-based leadership can actually enhance the safety of your projects. This discussion will open up new paths of study for you to grow as a leader and a human being. Topics will challenge core left-brain systematic thinking and encourage you to begin to explore your current limitations as well as your potential.
About the Speaker:
James is a Portfolio Manager at Pearson eCollege, and has been an Agile project manager and coach for over 10 years. While his degrees are in Genetic Engineering and Bio-physics, his interests and studies have focused for over 10 years on the human element in our workplace, and how leaders and individuals can find more peace and joy in their work, and thus his interest in Agile. He has taught leadership classes and seminars, and coached many leaders to more humanistic ways of leading and valuing their people. James is also a certified life coach, motivational speaker, spiritual teacher, and lecturer.
Agenda:
6:00-6:30 - Food, networking, announcements
6:30-8:00 - Presentation
Attendance, parking and food are free! Parking vouchers will be provided for free parking in the Tivoli Auraria Parking Structure to the NW of the Tivoli Student Union.
Comment Wall
Comment
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Comment by Manny Segarra on July 26, 2012 at 9:04pm -
Good Day and Thanks to all who attended our July Agile Denver meeting! Special Thanks to our esteemed speaker, James Buchanan from Pearson, for his insight into the ‘human’ condition and this applies to Agile development…
My takeaways from the discussion…
‘Warring Hemispheres’ dove into the contrasts between the right and left brain; Left brain thinking is logical, structured and process driven to results, while Right brain thinking involves the ‘soft side’ of our thinking, feelings that are sometimes shunned in a business setting.The contrast between Inspiration vs. Motivation was emphasized to help understand that motivation is an external force that diminishes once a goal is attained, while Inspiration is the driving force that keeps people engaged and committed. To inspire, a manager must know their employees so that Trust can be established. Once a manager can establish Trust, getting to know one another leads to vulnerability, becoming human, superseding the boss/employee relationship, and furthering connections...
The contrast between being Curious vs. Interested in our employees, aids in the vulnerability between two people to come to fruition…after the connection has been established, then the learning can begin….This allows the student to be ready to hear the lesson, if not, you are preaching instead of teaching. While Waterfall is left-brain, process driven, Agile is right brain, value driven with the built in flexibility to allow the forces of inspiration to take hold.
Mr. Buchanan then touched upon the importance of EQ, Emotional Quotient,(EQ) over Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and how EQ continues to grow throughout a lifetime, while IQ plateaus around 18 years old. While IQ can be slightly improved with training, tips and tricks for your brain, the EQ is constantly evolving, enabling us to connect to different personas throughout the changing cycles of our lives. Mr. Buchanan boldly quoted the Dali Llama, “To will the good of the other without judgment” emphasizing the desire to offer inspiration and service without the ego-driven intent of having people do things ‘our way’. This EQ trait helps us to establish relationships without regimenting process or behavior.
I encourage those who attended to add their insights and takeaways !
Thanks again to James Buchanan for sharing his experiences !Manny Segarra 3
agileknight.com
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Comment by Frank Vega on July 26, 2012 at 8:34pm -
Sorry I missed this one but I was on the road. Looking forward to hearing from those that attended the key take-aways!
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Comment by MJP on July 23, 2012 at 12:25pm -
Does anyone want to carpool from Boulder with me? Please reply here, if so!
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Comment by James Buchanan on July 23, 2012 at 9:32am -
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
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Comment by Joan Prebish on July 12, 2012 at 6:29pm -
I'm very interested in this topic. May take notes with both hands.
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Comment by Katiuska A. Vergith on June 2, 2012 at 1:26pm -
Hi James, I am looking forward to listen this interesting topic and to learn!
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Comment by Lynn Winterboer on June 2, 2012 at 8:22am -
Sounds very interesting! Both sides of my brain are looking forward to this...
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