“Leading a meeting, negotiating a deal, doing an interview — you need to think of these as performances,” I used to tell clients. I said that to focus them on…
Browsing Categoryoptimum performance + pressure
How To Micro-Cize Your Life
It always takes me by surprise. When I give my presentation on “how to get a mental six-pack,” I ask the audience, so what’s your biggest takeaway? In my mind,…
How To Escape the Time-Scarcity Trap
If you’re a working human being in the modern world, you’re keenly, maybe even obsessively, aware of time, often thinking: “There’s never enough time.” “This is taking too long.” “I’m…
What You Can Learn About High Performance From A Junior High School Teacher
Dave Brodkey teaches shop class to sixth to eighth graders at New Brighton Middle School near Santa Cruz, CA. Eleven and twelve year olds are typically not known for their…
Want to Be Better under Pressure?
“Who here thinks they do better under pressure?” When I ask this question to the Navy SEAL candidates I mentor, most of them raise their hand. And most of us would…
The Curse of Finishing Second (and Five Habits of Happy High-Achievers)
After finishing third in the men’s 100 meter race at the Rio Olympics this week, bronze medalist Andre de Grasse excitedly embraced Usain Bolt, who had taken the gold. While…
The Real Difference Between Top Performers and Everyone Else
Growing up as a budding world famous concert pianist, I practiced the piano four to six hours a day. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it. The thing is, I didn’t really know…
What A Flight Attendant Can Teach Us About Creating Certainty in An Uncertain World
Recently, on a cross-country flight from New York to California, the flight attendant announced: “We’re heading into a thunderstorm so the seatbelt sign will be on for the next 45…
What Message Is Your Body Language Sending?
This past Sunday, I was at the US Open watching a match between Top 10 player Jelena Jankovic and Belinda Bencic, who’s ranked 58th. Jelena had a healthy lead in the first set…
Crush It At the Holiday Party: Six Ways to Network Like A Navy SEAL
Ah, the holiday season. In addition to the usual networking events and industry conferences, there’s the year-end cocktails and company parties chockful of opportunities to socialize, re-connect and talk shop….