“When you forget yourself and your fear, when you get beyond self-consciousness because your mind is thinking about what you are trying to communicate, you become a better communicator” Peggy Noonan. On Speaking Well I have just read “On Speaking Well” by Peggy Noonan, speechwriter to Ronald Reagan. She sums up persuasive speaking with seven … Read more
A couple of years ago I had some discussions with Solera Capital about taking on a role in Europe leading the change at a company called Audatex, an insurance claims adjustment business. Solera explained their simple, three part philosophy that they apply to managment of their acquired companies: 30/30 80/20 90/10 30/30 – Every manager … Read more
I was on the Air Europa flight back from Madrid sat with JC Duarte and Manuel Vidal-Quadras. At a certain point we watched as JC pulled up an impressive iPhone application that allows him to track his time. This led to a discussion about how to be effective with time. I feel that I am … Read more
I listened to a podcast from Barry Nalebuff of Yale University and founder of drinks brand Honest Tea (sold 40% to Coke for $43Min 2008; apparently Barrack Obama’s favourite drink is “Black Forest Berry”) as I sat on British Airways flight BA10 from Sydney to Bangkok. He spoke compellingly of why a decision to be … Read more
Are some people born lucky? Richard Wiseman, author of Quirkology, describes a number of psychological experiements that he has conducted to understand the role and roots of luck in people’s lives. In each case, people were asked to self-evaluate their level of luck prior to the experiments, allowing Richard to create 2 groups – the … Read more
JK Rowling gave the Harvard commencement speech in 2008. I love the way she wins over the audience by speaking about her own life. She speaks powerfully about the greatest lessons that she has learnt – always from her failures. What would JK tell her 21 year old self? “Life is not a checklist; a … Read more
I listened to Warren Rustand speak on Leadership to the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last week. Warren is a man who has fit the experiences of several lifetimes into his own – he has been in public service, in academia, involved in not-for-profits and has been chairman or CEO of 17 organisations. … Read more
“You either learn to sell, or you will always work for someone who has learnt to sell” This blog post is a summary of my notes on a session by Blair Singer on Sales. Your ability to selling has a major influence on your income, your promotions, your relationships and ultimately where you take your … Read more
I was at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday and sat in the crowd with my friend Maurice. We watched Ricky Ponting and his Australia team score 267 runs against the Pakistan team on an overcast but warm day – perfect temperature for sitting outside. Maurice shared with me three pearls of wisdom that had been … Read more
On Thursday evening I was sat at a low table with Maureen. “It is nice to be able to speak to people”. She clarified “At most events the majority would have had several beers by now”. “We can have a real conversation and I like that.” I knew that Saudi Arabia was alcohol free, but … Read more