To Be A Great Leader, Do The Opposite Of James Bond

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We all love the “oh-so-cool” person who can just “wing it” in any situation, don’t we? That’s why we admire (and secretly want to be) James Bond — the guy who can go through a brutal, life-or-death fight with armed assassins, and then thirty minutes later stroll into a high-stakes poker game (in a perfectly-tailored, freshly-pressed tuxedo, of course) looking like he just had a facial and manicure.

We all want to be the person who, off-the-cuff, always says the perfect ...

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How To Win At The Game Of Employee Engagement

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Engagement drives results.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? When your team is more engaged, you get better results. But it turns out the reverse is just as true, if not more so.

Results drive engagement.

When I was producing my hit comedy TV show in Seattle, my team and I would look at the ratings every week. It was a point of pride for us that we were number one in our time slot for ten straight years. Seeing the numbers there in ...

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Are You Missing Out On The Moose In Your Business?

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I saw a moose yesterday.

He wasn’t easy to see. He was standing among some aspen trees and was camouflaged by shadow. But I saw him.

I’ve spent the past week driving and hiking through the Grand Tetons and parts of Yellowstone. Wildlife here is abundant — and elusive. While you can occasionally see a moose or bear leisurely crossing the road, more often than not, you have to look for them. This means you have to do two things if you ...

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Sometimes The Easy Way Out Is The Best Way Out

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I’m a big fan of delegating work. I’m not always good at delegating work, but I’m a big fan of it. In general, you should delegate work that:

  • you aren’t good at doing
  • you don’t like doing
  • keeps you from doing the work you should be doing

Like I said, I’m a big fan of delegating work. But you know what I like even more than delegating work?

Deleting work.

Most of us, when faced with an unpleasant task, do one or more ...

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These Are The Two Reasons Why You Feel Like A Fraud

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I have a friend (really!) who’s going through a bit of a personal crisis right now. He just got a new job in which he’ll be leading a team of about 25 people. He’s very well qualified for this job. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that his entire life has been leading up to this job. He is, in my opinion, the perfect person for the job.

So what’s the crisis?

“I’m not sure I can pull it off,” he ...

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This Surprising Leadership Tool Can Help You Conquer Pressure

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Crystals. Shamans. Dream catchers. Nehru jackets.

Those are the images some leaders conjure up when you mention the word meditation.

“That’s a little too woo-woo for me,” they say. “I really don’t have time for 60s hippy stuff. I have real pressure to deal with.”

Yes, as a leader, you do have real pressure to deal with. Which is exactly why you should count meditation as one of your most important leadership skills.

“Huh?”

Look, if you think of meditation as…

  • … sitting cross-legged in a ...
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How To Inspire 5000 People In 5 Minutes

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I gave my first university commencement address yesterday. And then, two hours later, I gave my second one. (The first was for the graduate degrees; the second was for the undergraduates.)

Speaking to an audience of 5,000-plus people is a cool experience and a big responsibility. It requires years of experience speaking to hundreds of smaller audiences. It’s not for amateurs.

At least, that’s what I thought.

That’s what I thought until I heard the speeches from four of the graduates (two per ceremony). ...

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How To Conquer Pressure Like A Brain Surgeon

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Some people would say that I have a high-pressure job. I’m a professional speaker. My job is to do what, to most people, is their number one fear: speaking in public. In a few days, I’ll be speaking to an audience of 5,000 people — and I’m fine with that. For many people, though, that would be more pressure than they could handle.

You know who I think has a high-pressure job? Brain surgeons! See, if I screw up, what happens? ...

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Is Your Lack Of Confidence Killing Your Success?

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Do you like roller coasters?

I like roller coasters. Not everyone does, but I do. The ups and downs, the ins and outs. The steep climbs and the sharp drops. I like roller coasters.

Literal roller coasters, that is. I’m not a big fan of emotional roller coasters, and I’m not a fan of the roller coaster of self-confidence that I see a lot of leaders riding.

This self-confidence roller coaster explains why some leaders consistently produce great results under pressure, while others ...

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How Influential Are You As A Leader?

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There’s a lot of pressure on the leader.

There’s the pressure of the clock. The pressure of the boss. The pressure of the stakeholders. The pressure of results.

There’s a lot of pressure on the leader.

Well, I’ve got bad news for all of you leaders. I’m going to add one more pressure.

The pressure of your employees’ health, kids, and sex lives.

Yep, that’s on you too.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” you protest. Maybe not, but it’s true nonetheless. Here’s why.

  • People who are dissatisfied with ...
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