The School of Life

Most businesses run into trouble not through a lack of technical skills, but because they fail to appreciate the role that emotions play in determining whether or not a group of humans can work together effectively. That’s why we set up The School of Life at Work: a place for learning about and developing those critical human skills that define the success of individuals and teams. Watch our film to learn more about what we do – and discover all the different ways we can help to upskill your business. https://lnkd.in/eVU5jG56

These days, a job needs to offer us more than financial security: we want them to provide us with status and meaning. But to feel truly satisfied with our careers, we may need to look elsewhere to find fulfilment. Watch the full film on our Youtube channel.

People-pleasing behaviour, while ostensibly pleasant, causes us enormous difficulties. We need to grow better able to disappoint others, and to stop fearing calamity when we do so. Watch the full film on our Youtube channel.

Here at The School of Life we frame Personal Brand in relation to ‘authenticity’ – knowing your true self and building the capacity to outwardly express this to others. In Ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates was famously asked to sum up all philosophical commandments. He replied: “Know thyself.” Knowing ourselves has extraordinary prestige in our culture. It has been framed as quite literally the meaning of life. Here, it is certainly the foundation of building an effective personal brand… It all begins with taking the time and effort to regularly introspect (the process of turning inwards and self-observing / exploring as a means to better know ourselves) so you can figure out who you are and who you want to be. Often, the best place to start is by posing ourselves a few simple – yet penetrating – questions. To discover how The School of Life at Work can help team members get in touch with their authentic selves, speak with our team by following the link. https://lnkd.in/eYgw9Ayi

When contemplating a career move, it can be useful to imagine how we might look back upon our decision from our deathbed. Would we congratulate ourselves for playing it safe and choosing the less risky option? Or dearly wish we had had the courage to be more daring?

Our minds are prone to a peculiar cognitive quirk: dramatically overestimating our own ignorance…while fatally underestimating the ignorance of others. To compensate, we ought to get into the habit of asking simple yet pointed questions: in so doing, we stand to realise just how readily received wisdom and faulty thinking abides in the workplace. For more wisdom from The School of Life at Work, follow the link. https://lnkd.in/eVU5jG56

Effective thinking is part of Self-Management, one of 60 emotional skills from The School of Life at Work. Contact us if you are interested in a Workshop, Talk or Bespoke Experiences to develop effective thinking within your team. https://lnkd.in/eYgw9Ayi

For a long time, Western society has focused on the importance of great leadership and the character of great leaders, exhorting us to emulate their examples if we wish to lead. At The School of Life, we believe that Leadership is something that can, for the most part, be learned. And we particularly believe that while technical and intellectual skills can be important for leadership, perhaps the most important part of leadership is the ability to use emotional skills – to manage our own emotions and react well to those of others. At The School of Life at Work, we’ve identified some of the top leadership strengths: •Empathy •Vision and purpose •The ability to inspire others •Humility •The ability to listen •Decisiveness •Objectivity •Confidence •Resilience •Vulnerability Which of these strengths do you recognise in yourself? Leadership is one of four learning journeys from The School of Life at Work. Download our brochure and find out more: https://lnkd.in/duERxypC

We all have colleagues who are difficult to work with – yet rather than addressing the issue directly, we mostly confine ourselves to gossiping behind their backs. A more productive – and far kinder – approach lies in creating a non-judgemental space where team members can discuss the obstacles they face when collaborating, in order to arrive at mutually beneficial solutions to disagreements and blocks.

Much of our dissatisfaction with the work we do stems, in the main, from our failure to ask ourselves a few simple yet key questions. Spend a few minutes thinking about the ones we’re sharing here: they can reveal much about the kinds of work we’re ideally suited for…