Imagine yourself at the starting line of a speed skating race. The buzzer sounds to announce the start of the race and you promptly fall on your face. It’s over. Give up. Go home. Right? This was the premise of a video I recently watched on LinkedIn, but as the race unfolded I was fascinated by how the skater in … Read More
Are you the problem?
As unpopular messages go, this might be the grand slam of unpopular messages. But, if you really want to go further, faster and take your effectiveness to a new level, it’s an important one. Just stick with me for a few more seconds. When there is a project or relationship that just isn’t working, the most effective among us are … Read More
PODCAST: Your ability to delegate sets the ceiling for your impact
In this BONUS episode of my podcast, Effective on Purpose, my incredible assistant, Trúc, and I riff on the importance of delegation, the value of working with an assistant, and how we got started together. This conversation is for YOU if: you are worried that your inability to delegate is reducing your capacity for impact OR you are curious about … Read More
This is why people don’t listen to you
There is going to be a moment, certainly this week, likely tomorrow, in which you will want to convince someone of something. Perhaps you will want them to partner with you on a project or simply order take-out from your favorite restaurant. The (often failed) approach most people take is to express all the reasons their solution makes sense TO … Read More
What if you changed one small thing?
If you are looking for a great way to fail, just try to change everything all at once and see how it goes. Whether you are trying to change your eating habits, improve organizational culture, or become a stronger leader, making widespread, wholesale changes all at once isn’t always an effective path to take. Instead, where appropriate, you could try … Read More
Keep up the great work!
Here is a completely simple way to increase your influence and help others reach new heights: be like Moriah. Two or three times a year I get an email from Moriah in response to one of the messages I share and every one of them is like one of those power-up mushrooms that make Mario double in size. They are … Read More
I want you to make me a promise
I want to make a deal with you. Right now. From now on, come hell or high water, you and I don’t do overwhelm alone. I understand there are a thousand reasons why it feels like you can’t ask for help, or why your professional circumstances are so special that no one else will understand, but none of it is … Read More
John Wick has a broken heart
On the surface, the frenetic John Wick movies follow a man who is impossibly angry. The anger takes top billing, but it is really just a response to being heartbroken. What does this have to do with you? Sometimes the people you work with will make confusing decisions, or react in unexpected ways, because of root causes you don’t understand. Instead of vilifying … Read More
Simply thankful
I think engaging in a posture of thankfulness is far more important than the specific things for which you are thankful.
Safety isn’t always safety
I spent a couple hours last evening watching my nephew, who is a senior in high school, play trumpet in one of his last jazz/symphonic band concerts and I was transported back to when I was playing drums in my high school band. My dad is a drummer, but I didn’t take to the drums until I was about 12 … Read More
This is difficult and I will always hate it
Just like driving a car used to seem a lot more daunting than it does today, you will likely find that the new challenge you are facing will feel very different in the future.
4 ways to break out of a slump
Some days you operate at maximum effectiveness and everything you touch turns to gold. Other days are marked by a lack of focus, listlessness, and ennui. Everyone loses their professional mojo from time to time, so here are four tips to help you break out of a slump and get back in the zone. 1. Be generous Finding yourself in … Read More
The workaround is not the solution
Falling in love with the workaround because it eliminates immediate pain is like asking an attacker to punch you in the face at some undefined future date.
Can we be honest with each other?
If you only make agreements you can keep, then you set yourself up to be trusted. When you agree to things you can’t actually accomplish, you become your own worst enemy.
Do something to help your future self
I spent a couple hours at the dentist yesterday and learned a lot about what it means to be a proactive, disciplined professional. Going to the dentist isn’t exactly the definition of a good time. No one invites someone to the dentist on a first date. No one goes to the dentist on a whim because it’s Saturday and they … Read More
I’m overwhelmed and I don’t know what to do
Moving from something you know to something uncertain is a scary thing, but it’s entirely possible the result of all these changes will be something truly wonderful.