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Mind Sparks
Short reflections, key reading notes, and spontaneous thoughts—capturing sparks of clarity, curiosity, and connection that illuminate the way forward.
Mind Spark #14 - Leadership Is the Engagement Engine
Inspired by a speech on building an unstoppable team by Scott J. Medeiros "The manager or team leader alone accounts for 70% of the...
Shujian Zhang
6 days ago2 min read
4 views
0 comments
Mind Spark #13 - The 5:1 Rule: Unlocking the Quiet Power of Listening
Inspired by the book "Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life" by Tom Corley. “ Life is about rising...
Shujian Zhang
May 252 min read
3 views
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Mind Spark #12 - You Made Me Feel Like I Matter
Reflections on feedback from an intern. “ You made me feel like I matter." As a leader for many years, I have received a lot of feedback...
Shujian Zhang
May 182 min read
8 views
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Mind Spark #11 - Writing to Think, Share, and Grow
Reflections on why I write on ShujianZhangInsights. “ Writing is formalized thinking." Why writing? Writing has become one of my most...
Shujian Zhang
May 112 min read
12 views
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Mind Spark # 10 - Perspective-Taking: The Underrated Leadership Superpower I Misunderstood Too
Inspired by Palena Neale’s article in Harvard Business Review, " Empathy Is a Non-Negotiable Leadership Skill. Here’s How to Practice It...
Shujian Zhang
May 42 min read
11 views
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Mind Spark #9 – Bridges Over Fire: Leading Through Cross-Team Conflict
Reflecting on a recent cross-team conflict. “The true role of a manager extends beyond conflict resolution to proactively building...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 302 min read
19 views
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Mind Spark #8 – The Man Who Moved Mountains: A Leadership Lesson in Vision and Grit
Inspired by the Chinese fable “The Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains” (愚公移山) There’s a classic Chinese fable that nearly every Chinese...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 292 min read
17 views
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Mind Spark #7 – Beyond Attendance: The Power of Being Present
Inspired by feedback from my team member “It would mean a lot to the team if you could be more present during our weekly group meetings....
Shujian Zhang
Apr 191 min read
14 views
2 comments
Mind Spark #6 – What AI Can’t Replace: The Rise of Human-Centric Skills
Inspired by the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs 2025” report “ Human-centric skills such as leadership, social influence,...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 182 min read
13 views
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Mind Spark #5 - Influence Starts with Listening: A Quiet Superpower
Inspired by an interview on Youtube titled “Influence Without Authority”@kedaibiao ( Link ) Three powerful tools can elevate the...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 162 min read
17 views
2 comments
Mind Spark #4 - Be the Magnet: Attracting Opportunities Through Who You Become
Inspired by the book "How to Live an Extraordinary Life" by Anthony Pompliano “Magnets attract opportunities..It is a much better...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 142 min read
13 views
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Mind Spark #3 - Our Reputation: The Ultimate Business Card
Our reputation is the only business card that leaves a lasting impression. “Before We Speak, Our Reputation Has” In a world where first...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 121 min read
12 views
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Mind Spark #2 - Crappy Pages, Real Progress: The Power of Showing Up
Inspired by the book "How to Live an Extraordinary Life" by Anthony Pompliano “Making worthwhile things is all about momentum...Momentum...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 101 min read
8 views
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Mind Spark #1 – The Butterfly Dream: Rediscovering Who We Are
Inspired by: Zhuang Zhou’s Butterfly Dream “Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly... Suddenly he awoke, and there he was,...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 71 min read
9 views
0 comments
Introducing "Mind Sparks": Ignite Your Thinking
Hello everyone! I'm thrilled to introduce "Mind Sparks" to ShujianZhangInsights – a new mini-blog dedicated to those smaller, yet...
Shujian Zhang
Apr 62 min read
11 views
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