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The world’s best presentation
I was reading a post at Andrew Dlugan’s blog “Six Minutes” and came across the World’s best presentation. SlideShare recently concluded their World’s Best Presentation contest, and the winner was Dan Roam’s American Health Care presentation. [If you are reading this via subscription, you may need to click through to view it below. This is […]
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Starfish, Spiders, Cows, Geronimo the Apache and Entrepreneurial Start ups
I Heard Rod Beckstrom speak in Dubai a couple of years ago. He tells a great story about a starfish and a spider. If you come accross a spider and cut off one of its legs, what do you have? A dead leg and a 7-legged spider. If you cut off the spider’s head, what […]
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17 Daily personal habits for a fulfilling life
I have been teaching MBAs for 12 years and I am often asked over a coffee a question on the general theme of “what should I do with my life?” or “how can I be a success?” to which I feel hugely under-qualified to provide answers. I have spent time reflecting on my own life […]
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Reflections on Nando Parrado, the real hero of the film "Alive"
Last Friday I had the priviledge of hearing Nando Parrado speak to the 350 attendees of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation Barcelona University. Nando was the highlight of the 4 days of speakers. Survival in Extreme Hardship Nando Parrado survived for 72 days in the Andes, along with 16 members of his Rugby team, after their plane […]
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To speak well requires practice
Public speaking is a learned skill. To speak well requires practice. The ability to speak confidently and persuasively in front of groups is a highly valuable asset. Increased practice leads to better performance in job interviews, proposal presentations, project team meetings and board meetings. The basic principles of persuasion were developed over hundreds of years […]
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Three things to control when negativity "kidnaps" our brain
I just heard Mario Alonso Puig speak at the Entrepreneur’s Organisation University at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. Mario Alonso Puig is a brain surgeon who has spent 30 years looking at the changes in the brain caused by stress, negativity, depression and the role of the “little voice”. Our 3 Inner Critics There are […]
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The 3 keys to powerful body language while speaking
There is no simple rules for how you should stand, have your hands, look, or dress when you give a speech. However you must achieve three things in order to powerfully support the verbal message of your speech. Sandy Linver in her book “Speak and Get Results” outlines the three areas: you must transmit authority, […]
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Managing cats and dogs
I was recently at a lunch at IESE where Professor José Ramón Pin told a good story about human resources. If you want innovation and creativity, you need to recruit and collaborate with cats. If you want dependability and steadiness, but no surprises, you need to recruit and collaborate with dogs. If you have a […]
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12 Tips for Public Speaking
I am currently preparing the next year IESE MBA managerial communications course material and put down some rough notes on some key tips that differentiate powerful speakers from the rest. Speak with an intent to move people to action. Know what you want your audience to do immediately after hearing your speech. If nobody does […]
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The role of luck in success
As a business owner, you tend to hear a lot of stories about better business, tips and tricks of the trade, and lessons about management. Out of all of them, though, there’s one story that has stuck with me through the years. It’s a story that taught me to enjoy every aspect of business, and […]