Last Saturday, I was out with two friends, one a Parisian and the other a Brit who was fluent in French. The Parisian, a former dancer, was telling us (in…
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Do people pay attention when you speak?
“What’s your point?” If you’re talking and someone (me, for example) interrupts you to ask this, it may feel jarring and rude, but it’s actually a good sign. It means…
Are you an information addict? (I am.)
Awhile back, I did a radio interview on the topic of productivity. For 45 minutes, I waxed eloquent, giving tips on how to stop procrastinating, how to focus on what’s…
Are you afraid of the wrong things?
When I was living in Japan, my primary goal was to learn to speak Japanese. And I became fluent. I worked in a Japanese-speaking environment, I interviewed CEOs in Japanese,…
Your ego’s favorite three-letter word
Let’s say you’re on a cross-country road trip, from New York to California, for example. You program your destination in the GPS and then, at some point, you realize you’ve taken…
What can having more influence do for you?
Years ago, before I became a professional coach, I had a colleague who reported to two bosses, one in the US and one in Europe. At one point, we were…
It’s not over until you’re in the shower
Want a simple technique for more self control? Because in today’s world, we have a lot of options. And that means decisions. Factor in emotion and we’re likely to spend a…
We are not lemmings (or sheep)
In fourth grade science class, we watched a Disney nature documentary about the migration of lemmings. I still vividly remember the aerial view of this mass of lemmings scurrying along…
Do you know how to articulate your value?
When I was getting my MBA at INSEAD, I often felt intimidated in conversations with my classmates: They spoke up in class with such assurance about mapping out the product portfolio…
The “secret” to authentic influence
People think that to have influence you have to: Have fancy credentials (an Ivy League degree or experience! worked at brand-name company!) Be a brilliant expert who always knows the right answer Have…