The equation for human performance is the following: Performance = Potential – Self-Sabotage That is it. You achieve not what your boss lets you, not what the others let you… you achieve what you don’t screw up for yourself. In the years since I first wrote this equation up in a class and people said … Read more
Take a moment and think about the people you know well. Who is the most psychologically resilient of your friends or family? Who would cope the best with major setbacks? Who would be able to keep their heads while all about them are losing theirs? Dealing with Failure: Resilience I was at … Read more
Nitin Nohria, Dean of Harvard Business School will be speaking at IESE Business School in Barcelona next Monday 13th. “It is my desire to inspire people of all ages and social demographics to think about leadership on a broad level, contemplate what it means to them and what individual impact they can have when it … Read more
As I grow ever older, staying fit requires ever greater intention. I sometimes wish to myself that it might be a little easier, but then quickly realise that this is my inner saboteur distracting me. If you are going uphill then you are going towards success. I so often want writing to become easier. I … Read more
In the spirit of changing myself for the better (and becoming a better father to my daughter), I wrote a short manifesto. http://cono.rs/idontknow In the next 10 years through to 2024, 1 Billion jobs will be taken over by machines. Google cars will replace taxis. IBM’s Watson will replace customer service staff. We cannot out-reason the machines. We must … Read more
Last week I taught a course on persuasive communication. One individual was a charismatic speaker who repeatedly gave speeches that I would classify as “Rant”. This is a passionate and initially engaging way of speaking, but it has no place in a Leader’s communication. To rant is to speak or shout at length in an … Read more
Question for you: What do you have as your description line in your LinkedIn profile? Mine says “Moving People to Action” What does your LinkedIn Description say? I see several varieties of description. Some people just put their job title: “VP Marketing at Corporation Inc”. Some people an abstraction of their past experience “Experienced … Read more
I was teaching a seminar recently and a young film producer told me “I am not a good manager”. I asked him why he believed this. He described a recent series of disasters that he had overseen with his team. I asked him “who are the people on your team?”. He said his cousin helped … Read more
Most people know what they would have to do if they really wanted to get where they want to go. But, they don’t get there. Most don’t even start. To Must or Not To Must If it is not a must for you, it is not going to happen. What is the holy grail between … Read more
When does the switch from aiming to succeed to aiming not to fail occur? Has any company ever avoided it? NASA, Microsoft… and next up? Apple? Dan Ariely asks this question on his blog. Why did NASA go from the ambitious 1960’s to 1980’s era moon missions to the conservative, blame-finding, cover-your-arse culture of the … Read more