Leadership as a Business Model

Gary Smith

 "The most important rule of trading is to play great defense, not great offense. Every day I assume every position I have is wrong.”  This is a quote by John Paul Tudor who wrote the book Market Wizards.  Legendary investor Jim Rogers was right, as he once said, "Markets often rise higher than you think is possible, and fall lower than you can possibly imagine.” 

"Most people have a very strong sense of organizational ownership, but I think what people have to own is an innovation agenda, and everything is shared in terms of the implementation." - Satya Nadella

These quotes are pertinent to today’s leadership skills both for investing and for the success of an organization.  This month’s Wealth Tip has been near and dear to me for quite a while.  I wanted to share some of my research on leadership. This is in synchrony with The Leadership Development Conference - the weekend of the 24th- 26th of January at Pearlstone Retreat Center in Baltimore.  This conference is underwritten by your FJMC FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH LIFE. Thanks to the gifts by many of our members we continue to develop the Foundation for the benefit of our men’s clubs, synagogues and Conservative Judaism.

Satya Nadella is the CEO of Microsoft.  In 2012 Microsoft was floundering, running out of fresh ideas.  They had become complacent and had achieved their goals. Their mission was to put a PC in every household around the world.  Mission accomplished.  Since that was their mission the direction of Microsoft became stale and uninviting.  They were losing market share and innovation to Facebook, Apple and Google.  In comes Satya Nadella as the new CEO.  He had an exciting model for new leadership.  His first action was to redefine the mission and change the culture of Microsoft.  He empowered people.  He is an outstanding listener, is curious, and empowered employees to find their passion and to develop new innovations.  He trusted his employees to create change.

Satya describes three qualities that every leader should have:

1.       Clarity - this is critical to a company’s future.  Providing a vision and being able to implement that vision by surrounding yourself with the right people.  Using failure to learn.  A great leader should be decisive.  Vision with Decision.

2.       Energy - perhaps passion is as critical.  It is imperative the leader inspires followers to excel and bring innovation.  A great leader inspires optimism, creativity and shared commitment through good times and bad times. Vision with Decision.

3.       Driving Success - driving innovations that people love and are inspired to work on.  Finding balance between long term success and short term wins.  Vision with Decision.

I hope you enjoyed this article on leadership.  There is so much more to talk about. If you have questions or would like to discuss more about my philosophy on leadership please contact me at gvet@me.com .

Anti-Semitism - A Hate Crime
Its Impact on the Individual and the Community

Steven Mandel MD
Heidi Mandel PhD LMSW

The definition of a hate crime is a criminal offense against the person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.  It is the extreme expression of prejudice.  The stages leading to a hate crime begin with stereotyped misrepresentation, then lead to discrimination that is usually followed by the expression of hate speech and hate crime violence.  There has been a recent documented increase in communication of all aspects of hate toward the Jewish community, not to mention other diverse communities.

In the context of hate crimes the victim or victims are personally affected but the community feels threatened as well.  The victim(s) may have been the direct target of violence and bodily injury or may have witnessed the direct attack or the defamation of property that was motivated by hate.  It is crucial for the individual to acknowledge his/her stress.  The consequences of this distress may lead to depression, anxiety and fear, and lowered self- esteem.  Other sequelae of hate trauma include: post-traumatic stress disorder, safety concerns and hypervigilance, feelings of powerlessness, vulnerability to further attacks, and impaired functioning in work and in the enjoyment of recreation and family life. More extreme behavioral dysfunction can include somatization, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and social isolation.

When the crime has been directed towards a synagogue or other venue of communal Jewish life, the victim(s) may avoid ritual and other forms of services and social activities.  They may feel reluctant in wearing their traditional religious dress in public.  For fear of exposure they may even forgo the mitzvah of placing a mezuzah on the outside door of their home or lighting the Hanukkah lights and placing the menorah in the window. There will be community-wide safety concerns especially for children.

The immediate family as well as the larger community will likely suffer a form of vicarious trauma, which include empathic reactions to the impact and stress on the victim(s), leading to spiritual distress and loss of hope.  Thus, there are three types of trauma:

1.       Primary - the direct personal impact of a hate crime

2.       Vicarious - immediate persons, such as the family or congregational members, experience the trauma of the victim(s).

3.       Secondary - a larger circle, such as the community, who are impacted by the harm to the victim(s).

The ways victims cope with trauma from hate crimes depend on their inherent nature for resilience.  Resilience is a result of various aspects of the individual’s functioning, i.e. their psychosocial development, genetics, gender, environment and other risk/protective factors.  It is well known that a sense of community helps individuals and families heal from trauma.  Interventions that promote resilience and healing from trauma caused by hate crimes will include activities for self -care, such as sufficient sleep, healthy diet, exercise, support from family and friends, recreation for pleasure, and engagement.  For more serious post -traumatic stress, there are medications for anxiety and depression, as well as psychological therapy with professionals who specialize in trauma-focused treatment.  There are several modalities of care that include, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and peer-led and professionally facilitated support groups.  Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps with reconstructing negative thoughts and unhealthy behaviors to provide and encourage more adaptive skills.

In addition, victims can be encouraged to channel their energy towards social, political and community action activities.  Education for diversity and tolerance should be prioritized in the schools for children.  Organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) should be used as resources, not only to report hate crimes when they occur but also to find out how their “No Place for Hate” curriculums can be utilized in the educational system of the community. Other organizations, such as the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) can offer individual counseling and assessment.

In summary, individuals impacted by hate crimes need professional and community support to develop emotional resilience and personal empowerment.  With the increase of hate crimes towards the Jewish communities and persons of all faiths, we must be proactive in planning for the safety of our synagogues and centers of Jewish learning and socialization.  We also must be prepared to respond with professional and organizational support and resources. 

Why and How to Need to Maintain Good Posture

George Galanis

What is posture? One’s posture refers to the position one generally takes while sitting, standing, or lying down. These different positions change the distribution of one’s weight throughout the body, potentially resulting in permanent changes to the skeletal system. For instance, if one were to slouch very frequently, then their spine would eventually begin to curve, leaving that person stuck in a slouching position in their later years. That slouching position would then place excessive pressure on that person’s spine, weakening it and potentially causing chronic pain as a result. Thus, in order for one to help avoid such chronic pain later in life, one should practice good posture.

Ideally, one’s posture should minimize the amount of weight placed on the spine, serving instead to distribute weight evenly throughout the entire body. When standing, one should position their head on top of their body in alignment with their spine. It is important to avoid bending your neck excessively, as doing so can double, or even triple the amount of weight being exerted on the spine. For example, while the typical human head weighs about 10 pounds, when bent at a 15 degree angle, the amount of pressure placed on the spine increases to 27 to 30 pounds. At a 30 degree angle, the pressure increases to as high as 60 pounds. One should try to keep their neck as straight as possible, and should thus avoid spending too much time looking down at a phone or book. When standing, one’s shoulders should also be down, your back, knees, and hips should be in a neutral position, and one’s feet should be about shoulder-width apart from each other. Similarly, when sitting, one’s shoulders and lower back should be touching the back of the chair, while the knees are bent at a right angle and both feet are touching the floor. The neck should be as straight as possible, as when standing. 

When lying down, one should avoid lying on their stomach, and should instead lie on their side or back. When sleeping, one should use at least one pillow, though two are ideal: one for the head, and one for the legs. Should you sleep on your side, it is best to place a pillow between your legs. Should you sleep on your back, you should place the pillow under your knees. Typically, it is best for one to sleep on a firm mattress, though some may get better results with a softer one.

Additionally, there are multiple exercises one can practice regularly to improve their posture. One exercise, called the shoulder blade squeeze, involves squeezing one’s shoulder blades together, by working to touch one’s elbows together behind their back. This position should be held for five seconds per rep, with 20 to 30 reps being practiced daily. Another exercise, called the neck stretch, involves pointing one’s chin towards their chest so as to create a double-chin. Once again, the position should be held for five seconds per rep, with 20 to 30 reps being practiced daily. Finally, there is the chest stretch, which is practiced by standing in the middle of a doorway, holding both ends of the frame, and leaning forward until you can feel a stretch. This position should be held for five seconds each rep, with 20 to 30 reps being practiced daily. Finally, one should strive to avoid remaining still for excessive periods of time, whether at work or at home. It is best to move every 30 minutes or so to prevent the stiffening of one’s muscles.

Finally, beware of the “text neck”! The term “text neck” was coined to describe spinal issues stemming from the poor posture associated with texting. Typically, when people use their phones, they keep their necks bent forward for long periods of time. This poor posture has caused many teenagers to experience spinal problems normally not encountered until their fifties. Effectively, poor posture can turn one’s body as frail as that of an elderly person. Thus, one should always strive to maintain the best posture possible, to ensure they have a strong and healthy body.

References:

Why Good Posture Matters. www.acatoday.org/content/posture-power-how-to-correct-your-body-alignment.

Staff, CSU External Relations. “Is Bad Posture Damaging Your Health?” SOURCE, 11 June 2018, source.colostate.edu/is-bad-posture-damaging-your-health/.

“The Power of Good Posture.” Rush University Medical Center, www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/power-good-posture.

This article is provided by The Village Pulse, The NYC Pain Specialists Blog.  Karan Johar, M.D. | Executive Editor, Cherry Lam | Chief Medical Editor, Sherry Chow | Assistant Healthcare Editor, Nathalia Schettino | Assistant Wellness Editor.  The information in these articles are written by our student interns interested in medical careers. As such please do not take the information described in these informational bulletins as medical advice. If you need treatment, please contact a certified medical health professional to address your issue.