You are often your own worst enemy. It starts with the words out of your mouth and the voices in your head. From telling yourself that you aren’t knowledgeable enough to take on a new challenge to the nagging doubts about important career moves, the negative words in your mind are obstacles to the success […]
Archive for leading teams
The Power of Your Words to Shape Outcomes
Leaders always want positive outcomes, but many are unaware of how their thoughts and words may undermine their success. Based on years of shaping the culture of organizations, Michael and Megan show you three key principles to ensure that your words have a positive effect on your organization—and yourself.
The Science of Words
How Repetition Can Be a Game Changer
The idea of self-talk elicits images of less-than-sane people muttering to themselves as they stumble about less-than-safe streets. I try not to look like that when I talk to myself. In theory, this means ensuring my internal monologue is actually internal when other people are about. In practice, people are always sneaking around corners and […]
Words That Changed History
Why Lincoln, Henry, and Sojourner Truth Stood Out
People have delivered countless speeches in history. But even speeches delivered by the most prominent people, on the most auspicious occasions, routinely make little difference. Think of presidential speeches, like inaugural or State of the Union addresses. How many of them had any lasting impact? Just a few, like John F. Kennedy’s 1961 exhortation to […]
5 Ways to Hold Shorter Meetings
Take Things to the Next Level, in Half the Time
When Bryan Stockton was pushed out as CEO of toymaker Mattel, he fingered a complacent company culture for dipping profits. In fact, he went one step further and blamed the lack of innovation on bad meetings. Stockton’s story has been on my mind because I’m releasing a new book today called No Fail Meetings. Meetings […]
How to Shut Down Annoying Meeting Behaviors
Tips for Dealing with 8 Common Disruptors
As a young leader, I was excited to attend the annual gathering of my professional organization. It promised three days of learning and networking, plus a few business sessions. During the first session, one of my elder colleagues, a man wearing bright red suspenders, rose to ask a question, something about whether a point of […]