Three Simple Rules To Put You in the Top 10%
Live Smart Avoid Dumb Don’t Sabotage That’s it! Rather straightforward, right? However, like many things, principles aren’t that complicated, it’s the day-to-day application that gets…
Leaders are NOT Problem Solvers
This may be heresy to some traditional thinkers, but the primary role of a leader is NOT to be a problem solver per se but…
Directed Learning Beats Drifting and Dreaming
When I interview folks for a managerial or leadership position, I frequently ask about their preferred learning style. “Hands on” is the most frequent answer.…
Are You Paying Attention?
Our moods and emotions are not random. They generally spring not so much from what happens in our life but rather how we interpret them.…
If You Are Standing Still, You Are Running Backward
To live your best life, continuously strive to improve your skills, broaden your knowledge, revise your internal maps, challenge your comfort zone. Talent is just…
Paths to Apatheia
Apatheia in Stoic philosophy is a calm state of mind where one’s composure is not disrupted by negative emotions. It is most assuredly not indifference…
Three Mind Tricks of the Super Successful
Desire is far, far more powerful than discipline. If it is what you truly want, you will blow through virtually any obstacle to get there.…
The Faster You Run, the Behinder You Get: Why Telling Doesn’t Work
We all try to be efficient and offer good advice; when we see a problem, we offer solutions, earnestly trying to help. But what if…
Want to be Effective? A Bigger Hammer Rarely Works
Want to be Effective? A Bigger Hammer Rarely Works Or Why Removing Restraining Forces is Better than Increasing Driving Forces A common problem in persuasion:…
Can Cautionary Words Become Discouraging Words?
Words carry weight and the message we intend to send is not always the message received. Supervisors often try to share “known failure paths” in…
Your Friends are Your Future; How is it Looking?
It has been said that you are the sum total of the 5 people you spend the most time with. While there is much truth…
What are Your Values? Pick 3, Live Them Fiercely
Below is a list of Values, courtesy of Brene Brown (Dare to Lead and Rising Strong). Under the heading of “If everything is a priority,…
How Do You Stay Sharp?
Covey in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People speaks of the need to “Sharpen the Saw”, to regularly take time to renew, develop and grow…
Self-Made v. Self-Sculpted
I am NOT a self-made man. Anyone with an ounce of humility and self-awareness knows, appreciates, and is deeply grateful for the help they have…
The Incredible Power of Humility
Our pride, Our stubbornness, Our dislike of asking for or even accepting offered help, Our unwillingness to change, to admit we may have been wrong,…
Seven Habits of Happy People
They monitor their self-talk; keep it positive, solution oriented. They choose companions in life that challenge them to be their best. They Release. They focus…
The Fluency Illusion
The Fluency Illusion is when we think we know something better than we really do, believing we have mastered a subject when really we have…
Have You Ever Fallen Prey to Motivated Reasoning?
Motivated Reasoning refers to the all too human ability to find “logical” reasons to do what we already want to do v. to find the…
Three Kinds of Intelligence and Why You Need All Three
IQ IQ is the most basic kind of intelligence and generally refers to math/verbal skills. While pretty much set at birth and first few years…
Acquire the Skillset to Make a Real Difference: Embrace Systems Thinking
A system is any group of things or people that interact or are interrelated or interdependent and thus form a much more complex whole. Systems…
Do You Know HOW to Think? 3 Smart Ways, One Dumb Way
Intentional Thinking is making a conscious decision to think about a subject, a situation, a topic usually with the goal of finding a solution or gaining needed…
Never Waste the Pain
Suffering will come into your life; grow from it, don’t waste it. Failure will happen; use it, learn from it, don’t waste it. Disappointments will…
Three Little Habits That Lead to BIG Success
Ask Questions Being curious keeps you in learning mode and is an excellent way to get noticed and to get people to open up to…
Alive Time Vs. Dead Time: Where Do You Spend (Invest?) Your Down Time?
We all have free time, down time, in between times. Sometimes they are just brief moments, sometimes they stretch on and on. What we do…
Keys to Unlocking the Amazing Magic of Affirmations
Affirmations work best via endless (and I do mean endless) repetition. Over and Over and Over again until they are DEEPLY implanted in your unconsciousness.…
The Subtle Weakness of Smart Groups
Interestingly, in the absence of a well-organized structure, effective processes, policies, and procedures and competent leadership, the IQ of any group, the more so with…