Leaders, Stop Droning…PLEASE!

Posted by:

A good leader is, among other things, a good communicator. As a professional speaker, I attend a lot of corporate and association conferences. I’ve seen hundreds of CEOs, presidents, and other leaders address their people. And I’ve found that, all other things being equal, the most effective communicators are those who can say what they need to say in the least amount of time (while keeping it engaging). The ineffective ones are those who drone on and on, generally eating ...

Continue Reading →
0

Communication, Leadership, Producing Results

, , , , , , , ,

Are You Rewarding Your Work, or Avoiding Your Work?

Posted by:

Yesterday I wrote that a truly successful person wouldn’t take the afternoon off to go see a movie. A colleague of mine countered that that person might, if they were celebrating a personal or business success. She makes a good point. (And she’s a Ph.D., which, although no guarantee, lends a certain magnitude to her thoughts.) I’ve been thinking about the distinction today, and it comes down to this: there’s a difference between rewarding your work and avoiding your work. ...

Continue Reading →
0

Producing Results, Work Ethic

, , , , , , ,

Ask the Magic Question

Posted by:

I have a confession to make: this has been a lazy week for me. Because of a combination of the holiday, travel, and some other nice diversions, I haven’t been as focused on business as I should have been. My guess is that you’ve been there too. Maybe not this week, but at some point you’ve been there. You’ve mentally “checked out,” and just like that, the momentum was lost. It’s like when you stop going to the gym for ...

Continue Reading →
0

Creativity, Producing Results, The Beatles, Work Ethic

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Team Infighting is a Good Thing

Posted by:

The audience never saw the fights, but I remember them vividly. As the producer of Seattle’s long-running (15 years!), legendary comedy TV show, Almost Live!, I saw the fights almost every week. They would happen in the editing room, at the writer’s table, in the rehearsal studio. Sometimes they’d be happening downstairs in the Almost Live! offices while the studio audience was being seated in the studio upstairs. They varied from mild to intense—and I loved them! As a leader, ...

Continue Reading →
2

Producing Results, Teams, The Beatles, Work Ethic

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In Defense of Creativity

Posted by:

I’m currently developing a keynote presentation and supplementary workshop/breakout session on creativity and innovative thinking, and a friend of mine advised me not to include the word creativity in the title because “creativity isn’t a very in concept.” To which I respond: really? REALLY?

He said I might get somewhere with “innovative thinking,” but nobody’s going to buy a program on “creativity.” Now, bear in mind that my friend isn’t an idiot. (Many of my friends are, but not this particular ...

Continue Reading →
0

Change, Creativity, Producing Results, The Beatles

, , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Solve Your Problems…for Fun and Profit!

Posted by:

You have a problem. I’m not being judgmental, just making an observation. You have a problem. (You: “Wow—it’s like you totally get me!”) Yeah, spooky, isn’t it? But how did I know you have a problem? Because you’re human, and all humans have problems. Bill Gates has problems (for example, he’s never really found a haircut that works). So right now you may be thinking, “All right, so we all have problems. What I really want to know is how ...

Continue Reading →
0

Creativity, Producing Results

, , , , , , , , , ,

Page 79 of 92 «...5060707778798081...»