Part I
Today, I want to talk about self-regulatory focus theory and how the actions of leaders can affect the way followers approach different situations.Self-regulatory focus theory is a theory developed by Tori Higgins. He says that a person's focus at any given time is to either approach pleasure or avoid pain. These are two basic motivations that each and every one of us has, and they cause us to have different kinds of goals. Promotion goals in different life situations emphasise achievement. Prevention goals are oriented towards the avoidance of punishment. In a specific situation, our thoughts might focus more on promotion goals or more on prevention goals. The theory suggests that two factors affect which goals we are focusing on.他认为，一个人在任何特定时刻的关注点要么是追求快乐，要么是避免痛苦。1. self-regulatory|'self'reɡjulətəri|adj. self-regulatory systems, organizations, or activities are controlled by the people involved in them, rather than by outside organizations or rules 自我管理的E.g.:For a self-regulatory system to work, the consent of all those involved is required.
一个自我管理的体系要运作起来，必须得到所有相关人员的一致认可。
verb. to start dealing with a problem, task, etc. in a particular way着手处理；对付E.g.: What's the best way of approaching this problem?
什么是处理这个问题的最佳方式？
noun. activity that encourages people to believe in the value or importance of sth, or that helps sth to succeed推广；促进
E.g.: a society for the promotion of religious tolerance
一个促进宗教包容的团体
verb. to direct sb/sth towards sth; to make or adapt sb/sth for a particular purpose朝向；面对；确定方向；使适应
E.g.: Our students are oriented towards science subjects.
我们教的学生都是理科方向的。
First, there is a chronic factor. This factor is connected to a person’s personality and says that each person has a basic tendency to either focus more on promotion goals or focus more on prevention goals as part of his or her personality.Second, there is a situational factor which means that the context we are in can make us more likely to focus on one set of goals or the other. For example, we are more likely to be thinking about pleasure and to have promotion goals when we are spending time with a friend. In contrast, if we are working on an important project for our boss, we are more likely to try to avoid making mistakes and therefore have more prevention goals in our mind. Research has shown that the goals we are focusing on at a given time affect the way we think. For example, when focusing on promotion goals, people consider their ideal self, their aspirations and gains. They don't think about what they can lose, so they think in a happier mode. They feel more inspired to change. When people are focusing on prevention goals, they think about their “ought” self. What are they supposed to be? What are people expecting from them? They consider their obligations to others. As a result, they experience more anxiety and try to avoid situations where they could lose.其次，还有情境因素，这意味着我们所处的环境可能会使我们更有可能专注于某一组目标或另一组目标。adj. lasting for a long time; difficult to cure or get rid of长期的；慢性的；难以治愈（或根除）的
E.g.: the country's chronic unemployment problem
该国长期存在的失业问题
verb. if sb/sth has a particular tendency , they are likely to behave or act in a particular way倾向；偏好；性情E.g.: I have a tendency to talk too much when I'm nervous.
我紧张时总爱唠叨。
noun. the situation in which sth happens and that helps you to understand it（事情发生的）背景，环境，来龙去脉
E.g.: His decision can only be understood in context.
只有了解来龙去脉才能明白他的决定。
adj. that you have stated and are discussing; particular指定的；所述的；特定的
E.g.: We can find out how much money is spent on food in any given period.
我们可以查明在特定时间内花在食物上的钱有多少。
5. aspiration|ˌæspəˈreɪʃn|noun. a strong desire to have or do sth渴望；抱负；志向
E.g.: He has never had any aspiration to earn a lot of money.
他从未企求赚很多钱。
noun. an advantage or improvement好处；利益；改进
E.g.: Our loss is their gain.
我们之所失即他们之所得。
7. obligation|ˌɑːblɪˈɡeɪʃn|noun. the state of being forced to do sth because it is your duty, or because of a law, etc.义务；职责；责任
E.g.: I don't want people coming to see me out of a sense of obligation.
我不想让别人迫于无奈来看我。
Part III
Now that I have talked about the two focuses and how they affect people, I want to look at the idea that the way leaders behave, or their style of leading, can affect the focus that followers adopt in a specific situation.In talking about leadership, we often mention transformational leaders and transactional leaders. Transformational leaders, when interacting with their followers, focus on their development. In their words and actions transformational leaders highlight change. Their speech is passionate and conveys a definitive vision. All of these things can encourage followers to think about what could be. In other words, they inspire a promotion focus in their followers. In contrast, transactional leaders focus on developing clear structures that tell their followers exactly what is expected of them. While they do explain the rewards people will get for following orders, they emphasise more how a follower will be punished or that a follower won't get rewarded if his or her behaviour doesn't change. In short, they emphasise the consequences of making a mistake. This emphasis will clearly lead followers to focus on avoiding punishment and problems. This is clearly a prevention focus. 既然我已经谈到了这两个关注点以及它们如何影响人们，我想探讨一下领导者的行为方式或领导风格如何影响追随者在特定情况下所采取的关注点。verb. to start to use a particular method or to show a particular attitude towards sb/sth采用（某方法）；采取（某态度）E.g.: All three teams adopted different approaches to the problem.
三个队处理这个问题的方法各不相同。
2. transformation|ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃn|noun. a complete change in sb/sth（彻底的）变化，改观，转变，改革
E.g.: The way in which we work has undergone a complete transformation in the past decade.
在过去的十年里，我们的工作方式经历了彻底的变革。
3. transaction |trænˈzækʃn|noun. a piece of business that is done between people, especially an act of buying or selling（一笔）交易，业务，买卖
E.g.: The transaction is completed by payment of the fee.
交易在支付费用之后就完成了。
verb. to emphasize sth, especially so that people give it more attention突出；强调
E.g.: The report highlights the major problems facing society today.
报告特别强调了当今社会所面临的主要问题。
adj. having or showing strong feelings of enthusiasm for sth or belief in sth热诚的；狂热的
E.g.: a passionate interest in music
对音乐的浓厚兴趣
6. definitive|dɪˈfɪnətɪv|adj. final; not able to be changed最后的；决定性的；不可更改的
E.g.: a definitive agreement/answer/statement
最后的协议╱答复╱声明
noun. your vision of a future situation or society is what you imagine or hope it would be like, if things were very different from the way they are now 憧憬
E.g.: That's my vision of how the world could be.
那就是我对这个世界未来的憧憬。
noun. the state of being well organized or planned with all the parts linked together; a careful plan精心组织；周密安排；体系
E.g.: Your essay needs (a) structure.
你这篇文章组织不好。
In conclusion, it is important to understand that one focus is not necessarily better than the other one.For a designer who works in a field where a lot of innovation is needed, a promotion focus is probably better. In contrast, a prevention focus which causes people to work more cautiously and produce higher quality work might be very appropriate for a job like a surgeon, for example.The main point of the research, though, is that the actions of leaders can greatly influence whether people approach a situation with more of a promotion focus or more of a prevention focus.对于从事需要大量创新领域的设计师来说，以推广为重点可能更好。noun. a doctor who is trained to perform surgery (= medical operations that involve cutting open a person's body)外科医生E.g.: a brain/heart, etc. surgeon
