11/03/2021
With the passing of Dr. Aaron Beck, I’m reminded of his immeasurable scholarly influence on mental health treatment. I’m also reminded how useful the principles of cognitive theory can be for us as leaders.
Cognitive theory posits that the way we perceive and interpret our experiences has a direct impact on our emotions, behaviors, and physiological responses. These connections are important for our survival (I see a bear on the trail ahead, I perceive the situation as dangerous, my sympathetic nervous system is stimulated allowing my brain to focus on the dangerous situation, my heart beats more rapidly carrying blood to my extremities in preparation to flee, and so on)
These connections can also be detrimental when our interpretations are less than accurate. Build in self-checks and feedback-checks to assess the accuracy of your perceptions and interpretations:
- Validate understanding: What I’m hearing you say is ____, am I getting that right?
- Self-check: I’m feeling undermined by that comment, is that really what was going on or are there other explanations?
- Seek to understand: It seems like my employee isn’t dedicated to their work as they’ve been missing a lot of deadlines lately. Could there be something else going on?
By checking the accuracy of our thoughts and perceptions, we’re able to be thoughtful about the ways in which we respond. This skill will not only boost your credibility and influence as a leader but will also have a far-reaching impact on your organization, as it leads to more solid relationships, and better decision making.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/01/health/dr-aaron-t-beck-dead.html
It was an answer to Freudian analysis: a pragmatic, thought-monitoring approach to treating anxiety, depression and other mental disorders, and it changed psychiatry.
