Hacking human performance

Nov 24 2014 by Dawna Jones Print This

Best-selling author Steven Kotler discusses the power of ‘flow’.

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Remember Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule - the idea that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field? Being in the ‘flow’ - a state of peak performance - can cut that time in half.

The idea of ‘flow’ has been around for a while. Flow states optimize performance, enhance creativity, drive innovation, accelerate learning, amplify memory and underpin happiness. It almost sounds like nonsense, but fifty years of research says otherwise.

Steven Kotler is co-founder and director of research for the Flow Genome Project. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist. He talks to Dawna Jones about how well business executives have incorporated the knowledge of flow to function in today’s complex business environment.

In this podcast, they explore:

  • What sales managers and you need to know about how your brain manages peak performance.
  • How exponential growth in sports informs how you navigate exponential change in the business environment.
  • Three qualities of a rich environment that catalyze peak performance states.
  • The Navy Seal approach to training the brain to be mindful in the moment.
  • The keys to hacking human performance to keep pace with change.

Steven Kotler’s books include The Rise of Superman, Abundance, A Small, Furry Prayer, West of Jesus, and The Angle Quickest for Flight. His work has been translated into thirty languages and his articles have appeared in more than seventy publications, including New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Wired, and Forbes.

You can find Steven at www.stevenkotler.com or at Far Frontiers, his blog atForbes.com.

Evolutionary Provocateur

Dawna Jones
Dawna Jones

The Evolutionary Provocateur bi-monthly show is for executives, managers, and supervisors (OR for leaders at all levels) who have noticed that it is not what you know but who you are that has the biggest impact.

Dawna Jones, the show's host, believes that by raising awareness and understanding we can make a quantum leap to a new level of innovation in business - but it has to be done collectively.

What better way to do it than by provoking the evolution of how you see yourself and your role!

Find out more about Dawna at www.FromInsightToAction.com