If you’re prone to procrastination (like me) you can take some comfort in the fact that our brains are programmed for it. In general, most of us have trouble taking action now for the promise of a future upside. That trade-off is an abstract concept, and our brains do better with the concrete rather than …
The best pep talks motivate, inspire and energize. They transform teams. They encourage high performance. According to Daniel McGinn, author of “Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed,” there is a formula for motivating people with the spoken word. McGinn says an effective pep talk has three main components: Uncertainty-reducing language. This …
Author, pastor, and leadership expert Andy Stanley flashed a quote at the Leadercast Live event in May that seemed to capture the root cause of some of the biggest problems we see in our country, and our world: “Those who devote themselves to themselves will ultimately have nothing but themselves to show for themselves.” Stanley …
Today, there will be lots of extra hugging going on as we celebrate Father’s Day around the country. Millions of hugs – representing love, appreciation and gratitude – will be exchanged among fathers, families and friends. As we all know, some people love hugging, some actively avoid it, and others simply tolerate it. There’s no …
It sounds so simple to say that bosses need to tell employees when they’re screwing up. But it very rarely happens. That smartest bosses know, however, that criticizing your employees when they screw up is not just your job, it’s actually your moral obligation. That simple management mission is what prompted Kim Scott, former Google …
The military seems to have an acronym for everything. And they can be overly-complicated at times. But I like this one: BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) It’s a concept used for communications in the military. But it appeared in a recent article by Kabir Sehgal on writing more precise emails. The BLUF declares the purpose of an email …
If you’re hoping to get caught up on your office to-do list this long holiday weekend – don’t. That is the central thesis of an article by happiness expert Shawn Anchor and his wife, Michelle Gielan, a sleep expert: “We often take a militaristic, “tough” approach to resilience and grit. We imagine a Marine slogging …
Boredom is the silent, chronic ailment of relationships, families, careers and companies. Attitudes and habits become fixed. Learning slows. Staleness grows. These were the opening ideas put forth by John Gardner nearly 27 years ago at a gathering of McKinsey consultants in Phoenix, Arizona. His topic for the day was “Personal Renewal.” Gardner, who died …
Tara Mohr’s book “Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create and Lead” is about the tools she’s used with thousands of women to help them take big steps forward in their lives and careers. Mohr says that some women feel they aren’t ready to take on bigger roles. The inner critic can be a powerful and …
Addressing the poor performance of an individual or team is not the toughest test of a leader – it’s dealing with mediocrity. That’s business social scientist Joseph Grenny’s thesis in a recent HBR article “What To Do About Mediocrity on Your Team.” (Grenny is a favorite source for this weekly note, and his most famous …
