It’s easier than ever these days to sit around and ruminate about what you don’t have, what’s not working, and how pedestrian your life feels. A quick glance at a perfectly curated social media feed can quickly send you reeling into insecurity, resentment and anxiety. Thinking too much about what others have wastes valuable time …
Author: John Stevenson
Work
Author Stephen King is prolific. The science fiction/horror writer has written 54 books. When asked about the secret to his success, he simply answers: “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” James Michener wrote 40 books – epic novels about his favorite places like “Alaska,” “Hawaii” …
Daring
Shame can be incredibly destructive. That painful feeling of humiliation that we experience from making mistakes can keep us small, afraid and resentful and impede wholehearted living which is the key to other achievements in family, business and community. That is the simple thesis from Brene Brown, a renowned researcher on shame, fear and scarcity …
Conversations
Hitting the “Like” button on social media, or even briefly commenting, may be one way to create a connection, but it’s not a conversation. In her landmark book “Reclaiming Conversation,” MIT psychology research professor Sherry Turkle makes this important distinction. “Face-to-face conversation is the most human–and humanizing–thing we do. Fully present to one another, we …
Help
We all need help once in a while. Sometimes it’s physical (moving a couch), sometimes it’s emotional (listening to troubles) and sometimes it’s financial (raising or borrowing money.) But it can be uncomfortable to ask for help. Why? Because according to Dr. Heidi Grant, author of “Reinforcements: How To Get People To Help You,” we almost always …
New
Who owns “new” at your company? I’m not talking about new phones, cars or computers. I don’t mean new logowear, business cards or office furniture. I mean new: Ideas; Products; Services; Markets; Prospects; and Clients. These are the new things that really matter. Because they spark new growth, new profitability and new business value. One …
Salespeople
We’re all in sales. Even if you’re not expressly selling products or services or carrying a quota, you’re still representing yourself, your ideas, your causes and your projects. And contrary to popular belief, likeability is not a necessity to succeed in sales. In fact, if you care too much about being liked, you are destined …
Bosses
Being a great boss – not just a good boss – begins with who you are as a person. Your character and your beliefs drive your actions. Every word and deed reveals your intentions. It’s about managing yourself, and this is just one core element in the difference between good and great, according to Linda Hill and Kent Lineback. Because having productive …
What to do when you’re wrong
When we find out we were wrong it hurts because it’s a blow to our self-identity. We like to think we’re smart. We like to think of ourselves as good decision makers. We like to be known as go-to experts on certain things. While it’s bad enough being wrong in private, it’s even worse being wrong when others are involved. It’s embarrassing. And there …
How to create something important
Deep down, we all want to create something important with our lives. We want families, friendships, communities and businesses that grow and prosper. We want to do good work that matters. And of course we need to make money along the way. As a partner at the renowned Y Combinator seed-funding organization, Sam Alton has …