Exec Chess - Chess in Business, Leadership and Life

We apply the concept of transformational growth to chess players.  We explore what chess players need to learn, improve and grow.  But the episode discuss some key differences between improvement at chess, performance at blitz and the standard for transformational growth.  The goal is to seek an increase in our skills and knowledge that has an element of permanents and transforms the chess player.  We will identify the four necessary components  that can serve as indicators as well as sought in striving for transformative growth.  Lastly the podcast will contrast the types of improvement, ways we resist growth and insight into reaffirming our efforts inspired by a wide range of external influences.Module: Strategic ThinkingAudience: ChessPurpose: AppliedType: ConceptMain Section @ 1:46 - Setting Standards of Transformational GrowthApplied Section @12:00 - Four Components of Transformational GrowthContext @24:25 - Compare to Other ImprovementContrast @ 26:15 - Resisting Transformational GrowthStrengthening @ 33:57 - Reaffirming Transformational GrowthKey Points @36:28 - 3 Take-aways 

We explore the transformational growth possible often with a paradigm shift but at a minimum through self-awareness sufficient to execute lasting professional growth.  Specifically, the individual aims for transformation to a higher state of performance in a profession.  This often requires understanding many aspects including the necessary mindset, our self-identity, tricks and tools of the profession, the spirit underlying our code of conduct and residual effects to our personality that impact one (often emotionally or subconsciously) at the end of the day.Module: Strategic ThinkingAudience: ProfessionalPurpose: ExploreType: ConceptSection 1 @1:14 - When does growth lead to transformation?Section 2 @12:36 - What makes a Professional?Section 3 @20:56 - What residual or negative effects does one take from their professional growth?Conclusion with three takeaway points @25:18

This is part one of a three part exploration into strategic thinking found in many applicable sports and games.  It is a deep dive into an aspect of game theory relating to offense and defense.This podcast is intended for those interested in strategic thinking.  It also includes many useful ways of thinking about the application of what inspires us and teaches us in strategy games.  It draws upon the analogy provided by competition in the field of play with  those in business and professional fields.  Potential tools for success are highlighted from strategic thinking.

In today's work and school environment, the responsibility is on the individual to maintain productivity.  While there is a heightened flexibility, productivity often requires periods of intense concentration and careful attention to detail.  We do a deep dive into some of the methods to grow in concentration, intensity and ultimately, performance.

How does a model for categorizing and understanding the world feed our self-identity?  Does it empower us to understand ourselves and the larger world as a whole?  Or does it create limitations and takeaway tools to meet future challenges?  Does our response and inherent choices indicate our overall openness or conversely, resistance to growth?  We explore this aspect of chess in the larger world of leadership.

This exploration feeds off the ideas set in the podcast about the subconscious (S1 E7).  Many successful people are very passionate about their intuition, and understood in a clear manner, it can be developed in a powerful way.  It is formed in the basis of a subconscious providing deliberation, insight and ideas without our focused attention.  Once we see the limitations and factors influencing human intuition at the subconscious level, we can benefit from appropriate application.

Inspiration!  In chess, we have a key concept: "One cannot avoid the fight."  How do we rise up to meet the challenge and burden of a fight, whether metaphorical on a chessboard or real in practical problems?  One can start by understanding the essence of the fight and grow to understand how we respond as a warrior or competitor. 

First Principles - What is its very nature?  What is the essence?  This line of reasoning is very powerful in chess and in life."The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks." - Mortimer Adler  

Interested in awakening the giant within?  Interested in the depth of pure logical reasoning?   This would not be the podcast for either.  But the subconscious mind is a powerful thing.  Sadly, it is often alienated and denigrated.  One's subconscious is an integral part, necessary to make the mind whole, but we need to understand how ideas and solutions flow between the conscious and the subconscious.  A comprehensive approach to building up the subconscious can integrate the mind  fueling strong growth and providing plenty of benefits.

We further explore a sense of wonder and eagerness to find answers, solve problems and overcome challenges both large and small.  It is a continuation of an earlier podcast on the same subject, while encouraged prior listening, it is not strictly required.  We draw inspiration from several key visionaries with exceptional technical knowledge in their field to strive for a type of problem solving mind set that can really affect change.

We dive in for a workshop type format aimed at making a paradigm shift personal.  By exploring some examples, we find what it is and what it is not.  We identify parameters and factors brought by the individual that will add to the success of your  personal paradigm shift.  Greater focus in the design will produce greater success in the shift or movement along our course of action.

This is a workshop type application of the mechanism developed in Podcast 1 called Unrelenting Persistence.  This discussion is intended for chess players and specifically adult improvers.

Problem solving requires answers and ultimately solutions from a wide range of questions.  Chess players become obsessed with the best move in a variety of positions, but also must balance that with a good move, especially under time pressure.  All of us must balance deeply researched and tested universal answers with quick solution to our variation of a problem.  The answers we discover drive our decisions, influence  our behavior and ultimately contribute greatly to defining an individual at that point in time.  Whether defining black holes, or crafting a piece for a movie set, the individual needs to ask the right questions, heed time constraints and find solutions scientifically true and practically reached.  The skill of finding answer guides the wonder of discovery and keeps us to our course of action. 

Have you ever wondered how we train, learn and grow?  What if we could alter the overall approach or underlying assumptions thus creating a dramatic shift in our progress?  What are the components to make such an endeavor successful?

In the episode, we explore how persistence in our key areas of focus lead to an executive-type mechanism propelling us along a course of action.   Important parameters narrow the focus, incremental growth adds a vital component and new perspectives refuel progress along our journey.