Patrick Lencioni is at it again dispensing more brilliant advice. His writing over the last several years has been on team health and dynamics – how to cultivate a successful culture and organization. The best companies, according to Lencioni, are built with great teams, people who work well together. The trick has always been to …
Why motion creates emotion
Think what you will about the Tony Robbins brand of motivation but I have to admit it’s never been that appealing to me. Until a couple of months ago. That’s when I watched the Netflix documentary “I Am Not Your Guru,” a behind-the-scenes film about his 7-day signature motivational seminar that takes place just once …
How to have more breakthrough moments
Have you ever noticed that your best problem-solving or decision-making breakthroughs happen when your mind is quiet? Turns out these moments of quiet signals in the brain, or “weak activations” as they are called, can increase the chances of brilliant insights. Taking a break from thinking about an issue helps us to unravel our unconscious …
How to improve any piece of writing
Starting with the right mindset, and applying some basic rules, can do wonders for your writing. To get in the right mindset, writing expert Josh Bernoff recommends what he calls The Iron Imperative: Treat the reader’s time as more valuable than your own. It’s simple and direct, but how do you do it? If you want your …
How to persuade like a pro
There is often a fundamental disconnect between the way we pitch or try to persuade, and the way it is received by our audience. Understanding how to fix these disconnects is the secret to overcoming them. In his book “Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal,” venture capitalist Oren Klaff outlines …
How to overcome anything
The way we handle our everyday thoughts, emotions, and self-stories is the most important factor in our life success. That is the thesis of Susan David’s book “Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life.” David is a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School; co-founder and co-director of the …
How to put failure behind you
Failure is inevitable. There’s no way around it. And failure feels bad. When we lose, when we experience setbacks, when we get stuck, that can be frustrating and deflating. But mourning the failure – fast – and moving on is the key. Here’s how: Talk about it with family, friends, and colleagues. While we may …
The secrets of great communications
Great communicators motivate people. They create connections that are genuine, emotional and personal. The best communicators make you feel like they are speaking directly to you. If you want to be really good – if you want to be a better leader – these strategies can take you to new levels of persuasion and leadership: …
How to find meaning at work
Whether we want to or not, most of us need to work to make a living. But a job can be more than just a paycheck and a way to pay the bills. The best jobs make life more meaningful, more valuable, more fun. David Brooks, the New York Times columnist, and Arthur Brooks, the president …
For less anxiety try more awe
We know that stress and anxiety are bad for overall health. Negative moods are linked to heart disease, cancer and premature death from other problems. Conversely, upbeat moods like joy and contentment are good for you and can minimize the effects of worry. A recent study has isolated one emotion as a potent medicine: awe. The …