Why (and What) You Need To Be Reading If You Want To Be Leading
My favorite quotation (and yes, the word is “quotation;” “quote” is a verb, thank you) from Harry S Truman (and no, there’s no period after the “S,” because it’s not an abbreviation; “S” was his entire...
View ArticleHow Burning Dinner Can Make You Better Under Pressure
I burned the broccolini last night. As world crises go, this was pretty minor. Still, it served as a useful metaphor for producing under pressure. (Hey, it was useless as a side dish, so I had to do...
View ArticleHow To Survive When You Have To Make An Unpopular Decision
It happens to every leader — every real leader. A situation comes up, and a decision has to be made. Half of your team wants to go one way; the other half wants to go another way. There are good...
View ArticleIs It Stress Or Is It Pressure? Why You Need To Know
“I’m so stressed out! Can you help me?” I get that a lot, particularly when people hear that one of my areas of expertise is helping people produce under pressure. It’s a fair question, but an...
View ArticleWhy You Need To Care About Creativity
I’m continually astounded by how short-sighted some leaders are. Let me tell you what I mean. Last week, I was booked by the CEO of an organization that wants me to keynote their annual conference in...
View ArticleChange One Thing To Produce Better Results Under Pressure
John Hypothetical has a big exam coming up, and there’s a lot riding on the outcome. He prepares well for the exam, but he’s understandably nervous. When the big day arrives, he can feel his heart...
View ArticleHow Influential Are You As A Leader?
There’s a lot of pressure on the leader. There’s the pressure of the clock. The pressure of the boss. The pressure of the stakeholders. The pressure of results. There’s a lot of pressure on the leader....
View ArticleIs Your Lack Of Confidence Killing Your Success?
Do you like roller coasters? I like roller coasters. Not everyone does, but I do. The ups and downs, the ins and outs. The steep climbs and the sharp drops. I like roller coasters. Literal roller...
View ArticleHow To Conquer Pressure Like A Brain Surgeon
Some people would say that I have a high-pressure job. I’m a professional speaker. My job is to do what, to most people, is their number one fear: speaking in public. In a few days, I’ll be speaking to...
View ArticleHow To Inspire 5000 People In 5 Minutes
I gave my first university commencement address yesterday. And then, two hours later, I gave my second one. (The first was for the graduate degrees; the second was for the undergraduates.) Speaking to...
View ArticleThis Surprising Leadership Tool Can Help You Conquer Pressure
Crystals. Shamans. Dream catchers. Nehru jackets. Those are the images some leaders conjure up when you mention the word meditation. “That’s a little too woo-woo for me,” they say. “I really don’t have...
View ArticleThese Are The Two Reasons Why You Feel Like A Fraud
I have a friend (really!) who’s going through a bit of a personal crisis right now. He just got a new job in which he’ll be leading a team of about 25 people. He’s very well qualified for this job. In...
View ArticleSometimes The Easy Way Out Is The Best Way Out
I’m a big fan of delegating work. I’m not always good at delegating work, but I’m a big fan of it. In general, you should delegate work that: you aren’t good at doing you don’t like doing keeps you...
View ArticleAre You Missing Out On The Moose In Your Business?
I saw a moose yesterday. He wasn’t easy to see. He was standing among some aspen trees and was camouflaged by shadow. But I saw him. I’ve spent the past week driving and hiking through the Grand Tetons...
View ArticleHow To Win At The Game Of Employee Engagement
Engagement drives results. That makes sense, doesn’t it? When your team is more engaged, you get better results. But it turns out the reverse is just as true, if not more so. Results drive engagement....
View ArticleTo Be A Great Leader, Do The Opposite Of James Bond
We all love the “oh-so-cool” person who can just “wing it” in any situation, don’t we? That’s why we admire (and secretly want to be) James Bond — the guy who can go through a brutal, life-or-death...
View ArticleHow To Not Crash The Airplane Under Pressure
Let me give you a hypothetical high-pressure situation. You’re the pilot of a small, single-engine airplane. You take off, alone, in this single-engine airplane, and head out over a large body of open...
View ArticleHow To Lead A More Effective Team By Disagreeing
It’s great when people agree with you, isn’t it? It’s a wonderful validation — of your thoughts, your ideas…of you. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, it’s great when people agree with...
View ArticleHow Not To Make A Decision Under Pressure
Fight or flight? This way or that way? Yes or no? Each of these three questions describes a brain under pressure. Could be your brain, could be mine. When it comes to pressure situations, we all tend...
View ArticleThe Danger Of High-Pressure Focus
On December 29, 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing more than 100 passengers and crew members. That, of course, would be tragic under any circumstances. What...
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