Main Squeeze sent me this a few days ago; said it reminded her of me. You see I don’t enjoy organizational politics at all (who does?) and I’ve never been much good at kow-towing. I shared it with my friend and business partner, who wondered if “wolves”, being great at “lone”, might then not be…
Successful communication is an essential leadership and life skill. Engaging well with others depends on it. Here’s Julian Treasure with a 10-minute TedX talk on “How to speak so that people want to listen” that’s very worthwhile, with one caveat about his take on “judging” (more on that in a bit). In summary: If you…
This TED talk is worth watching repeatedly, until you get it all the way through to your soul. If that made sense, these might too: I = Choice You Are Your Will
Something light, but important. How we speak determines how well we communicate, and reflects how well we think – because language, and our command of it, is the tool of thought. Here’s poet Taylor Mali on… like, you know… [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNIBV87wV4&feature=player_embedded]
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT having “principles”, but few seem to be guided by their principles consistently, because it’s just too easy to make exceptions. The thing is, if you don’t follow your principles in every case, they’re not principles. Understood and accepted as non-violable, your principles become your “rock” – a steadfast guide to action even…
THE definition of leadership is: It’s not by accident that the first clause is about what you are setting out to achieve. It all starts with that. Good leadership is founded on vision. That term, “Vision”, is a bit over-used, and therefore perhaps compromised, sullied, clichéd, but it still fits. Good leaders don’t accept what…
NEXT time something doesn’t go the way you planned, no matter the scale, (a business failure, a disagreement, a poor restaurant experience, a trip over the curb, an interaction with an employee or colleague), don’t beat up on yourself. Instead, stop and ask yourself two questions: 1. What went wrong? 2. What could I have…
Alarm. iPhone. Get ready. iPhone. Commute. iPhone. Email. Meetings. Lunch. iPhone. Clients. More meetings. iPhone. Drinks. Commute. Gym. TV. Internet. Sleep. Do it again. You live a full life. It’s no doubt easier than life was for your forebears a few generations ago, but it’s also faster-paced, more varied, and filled with countless more distractions….
THIS short (5min) video offers insight into how our rapid emotional responses, based on preconceptions and assumptions, can override our considered better judgement, leading to regretful behavior. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJLqOclPqis&feature=player_embedded] This highlights the need for introspection and self-awareness. It’s one thing to know that you’re prone to making snap-judgements on false assumptions; even better to internalize rational…
HERE’S some material to get you thinking about innovation. First, my take. To foster innovation in your organization, here’s a quick & dirty list, (in no particular order), of elements to consider: 1. Employ for diversity. If you want different points of view (and innovation depends on it), you need lots of different ages, cultures,…
