THINKING IS A SKILL…MANY ARE UNSKILLED AND DON’T KNOW IT
Simply because they have thoughts (i.e. words form) in their heads, most folks believe they know how to think. But if you define thinking as…
Where Does Your Miss Havisham Reside?
Miss Havisham is the central character in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations who was jilted at the alter and chose to wear her wedding dress for…
Environment v. “In-vironment”
Two ways to look at the world: You are the program, or you are the programmer. Is your fate determined by outside events, by your…
7 Habits of Highly Ineffective People
Sometimes looking at opposites brings things into greater clarity… Be Reactive: Give away your personal power; hold others responsible for your emotions and reactions. See…
Successful People Accept this Very Simple Phrase
“It may not be your fault but if it’s in your way, it’s your problem.” The greatest point of power lies within you. To believe…
The Double Tap Response: Specific AND Systematic
Successful people approach problems differently than others. They search for solutions at multiple levels; solutions that are both Specific AND Systematic. Yes, they want to…
Smarter beats Harder
To get the most out of your efforts, first work (and live!) smarter, THEN work harder/longer… if that is what it takes to realize the…
Showing Up Clean
At its simplest level, “Showing Up Clean” means having an open mind. Easy words to say but the ability to calmly hear opinions you disagree…
What Emotional Energy seeds are you planting? For as you Sow, so shall you Reap
If we choose to speak disrespectfully of others (and remember we humans are a sensitive bunch); if we elect to gripe or groan about “how…
How are your Refusal Skills?
Refusal skills are communication strategies and pre-rehearsed scripts that help you say no without feeling guilt or shame, particularly when under social or peer pressure…
Memento Mori
Memento mori literally translates from the Latin as “remember death” or remember that we all die, that death is inevitable. Rather than being depressing or…
The Art of Thinking from the End
It is necessary to have an end in mind for without it we drift rudderless on the sea of life. The meaning of life, our…
You have to Walk the Valley to get to the Mountaintop
Deny me the lessons of the valley and I will not learn the skills I need to traverse the highest mountains. Sometimes you find yourself…
Three Keys to Influence
Three Keys to Influence: A summary of the “Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change” Whether you’re eradicating disease, improving customer service, or engaging struggling…
A Subtle but oh so Sure Path to Failure
Want to try hard? Be Sincere? Really care? And yet achieve far less than you could? Easy! Pick vague, fuzzy goals! Develop Team Members! Grow…
The Power of “Yet”
Three statements: I don’t know how. This isn’t working. There isn’t a way. Three statements, oh so slightly, yet so powerfully different: I don’t know…
Expect Unexpected Opportunity
Truth is, what most call luck is really most often the intersection of opportunity with preparation. Inadequate preparation? Luck goes on to knock at another’s…
A Simple, Easy to Learn Technique that will Impress your Boss
Follow up and follow through. That’s it. It’s not much but few do it and fewer yet do it consistently. Follow-through means to see something to completion,…
Define Your Average as Above Average
When you are average, you are as close to the bottom as you are to the top. There are many things in life that are…
Little Things Make Big Things Happen
The details matter because big success is just the steady accumulation of small wins piled one on top of another. Everything is connected, all is…
Do YOU think YOU are Worthy? And Worthy of What?
As Marianne Williamson famously said: “You playing small doesn’t serve the world.” We are put on this world to be our best selves, to develop to our fullest potential…
Always Look Under the Hood
The literal meaning of “look under the hood” comes from the process of buying a used car and refers to the importance not merely going…
Powerful People Perpetually Prioritize Prioritization
“I don’t have time” is often a soothing self-lie; the hard truth is that it is not a priority: if it were, you’d find the…
Project Management: The Proper Place for Pessimism
While we might not think of it as such, we are all “Project Managers” at some point in our lives. We all have things we…
Expectancy Effect: Make it Your Ally, Not Your Foe
The “Expectancy Effect” is the phenomenon by which folk’s perceptions and behavior change as a result of their or others prior beliefs i.e. expectations. It…
A Leader’s Highest Leverage Point
Yes, a leader must show the way, articulate the vision, light the fire and yet… all that eventually is little use if a leader does…