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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...
Jun 1, 20252 min read
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...
May 25, 20252 min read
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...
May 18, 20252 min read
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...
May 11, 20252 min read
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...
May 4, 20252 min read
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...
Apr 30, 20252 min read
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...
Apr 29, 20252 min read
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....
Apr 19, 20251 min read
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,...
Apr 18, 20252 min read
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...
Apr 16, 20252 min read
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...
Apr 14, 20252 min read
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...
Apr 12, 20251 min read
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...
Apr 10, 20251 min read
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,...
Apr 7, 20251 min read
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...
Apr 6, 20252 min read
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