With apologies to William Shakespeare: some create projects, some inherit projects, and some have projects thrust upon them. It happens to all of us. Sometimes they come in the form of assignments, sometimes in the form of opportunities (and the two are not mutually exclusive). But before we go any further, let’s define what we mean by “project.”
A “project” isn’t ...
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What would “playing a bigger game” look like in your business? In many cases, it looks pretty much the same as playing a regular game — only with a different mindset. Let me give you an example.
I’m a professional speaker. As such, my colleagues are motivational speakers, leadership speakers, and business speakers. Many of them have information and ...
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I don’t know what world you live in. I mean that literally. I don’t know what business you’re in, what your customers think of you, how people treat you–I don’t know any of those things. I don’t know what world you live in. But one thing that I do know, with certainty, is this:
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When I was in high school, I used to hang out with a guy named Vince DiCola. You probably haven’t heard of Vince, but he was—and still is—the best rock keyboardist I ever knew. I mean, this guy could play anything! And because I was hanging around with Vince, I decided to learn to play keyboards also. So I did—and I got good enough that, over the years, I’ve played professionally with a few bands. Am I as good as ...
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“Change is hard.”
“People hate change.”
“Change stresses me out.”
Bull.
As a professional keynote speaker, I’m on the road a lot. I speak to associations, organizations, and businesses across the country, and everywhere I go I hear people whining about change.
“Things are changing too fast.”
“I don’t adapt to change well.”
“Change is HAAAAAARRRRRDDDDD!”
None of it’s true, and I can prove ...
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I was flipping through the TV channels last night, trying desperately to avoid any Kardashian-related programming, when I came upon a breath of fresh air. It was a PBS biography of everybody’s favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, who left us in 2003. I only managed to catch a few minutes of this show, but in it I heard a quotation from Mr. Rogers that I hadn’t heard before:
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I’m getting ready to board a plane, something I do several times a week. Each time, I’m putting my trust—and my life—in the hands of the pilot. This is, in all likelihood, a person I’ve never met, and never will meet. But I rarely, if ever, think about it, and I’ll bet you don’t either. The trust is so ...
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It’s a cold, gray, rainy day here in Seattle, and I noticed fewer people at the gym this morning. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I don’t think so.
See, I almost didn’t go to the gym myself. Who wants to go to the gym on a miserable day like this?
For that matter, who wants to go to work? It’s a dreary, depressing day—a ...
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Last night I heard a television commentator say that the Republican nomination is going to come down to “who wants it more.”
I sincerely hope that this is not the case.
Republican or Democrat, I sincerely hope that we’re not going to choose our leaders on the basis of who wants it more. I mean, really, would you make any other choice ...
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See that guy on the left? The one at the Steinway? That’s Andras Schiff, one of the greatest concert pianists alive today. Andras and I have a few things in common: 1) we both play the piano; 2) we both play Steinways (although his preferred instrument is a Bosendorfer); 3) we’ve both had dinner with my sister (but not ...