Last month, I asked my email subscribers a question: What do you know now that you wish you knew then? (and wish you did). Imagine you are having a coffee with a younger version of yourself. What would you say? (If you still feel that you are the younger self… what would you ask the future you?) … 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
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
A few weeks ago I was in the audience with my friend Manuel listening to Kilian Jornet share his life story. At the age of 26, Kilian projects the profound wisdom of a Zen sage. The mountains are a powerful teacher. Kilian will run up and down Everest in 2015. Yep, run up it. He … Read more
Crossroads? A fork in the path of life… I was with a 65 year old successful entrepreneur at a direct marketing conference on Wednesday. I had given a speech and he came up and began to chat over coffee. He finished an MBA at Harvard 30 years ago. I asked him what was going on, … Read more
At the end of every course I teach at IESE Business School, all participants give extensive feedback on their experience of the course, the facilities… and on my role as a teacher. When the summarized feedback reaches me a couple of weeks later, I open the pdf in a state of nervous tension. I am preparing … Read more
Good speaker? Writer? Dancer? Singer? Runner? How do I become one? How does the whole thing come together? How will I know if it really is my thing? Will it be worth it? There is only one way to find out. There has really only ever been one way. The way to mastery in the … Read more
Reid Hoffman says it took him 15 years after graduating from Stanford to figure out what he wanted to do with his career. Hoffman eventually founded LinkedIn, a $19 billion public company. On graduation, he thought he would become an academic. Then he started some companies. Several failed… then he created LinkedIn. It didn’t fail … Read more
Time after time I see promising young athletes reach the professional teams, and they don’t make it. Time and time again I see someone do well in the good times, but then allow one small setback to avalanche into a total personal, business and financial collapse. Other times someone struggles through the youth ranks, shows … Read more
“It’s extremely difficult to do something big. I think setting out to do something small is easier and more likely to work.” Seth Godin If you are reading this, I will assume that you writing a book or are thinking about writing a book. What is holding you back? What obstacle sits between you and … Read more