A Simple Way to Introduce Yourself
You know the scenario. It could be in an online meeting, or perhaps you are seated around a boardroom table. The meeting leader asks everyone…
12 habits of the calmest people I know
Maintaining calm is one of the most powerful life skills. It helps us connect with people. It keeps us creative and resourceful and lifts our…
The Human Attention Span
Do you ever feel like our attention spans are getting shorter? It’s not just your imagination; research has revealed that human beings are,…
Giant steps: why walking in nature is good for mind, body and soul
Six weeks after my daughter was born, I found myself on the packed dirt path that runs along the River Cam in Grantchester Meadows. It was…
20 simple things I wish I could tell my 20-year-old self
A beautifully simple twitter thread of 20 simple things I wish I could tell my 20-year-old self.
What We Gain From a Good-Enough Life
In 1953, the British pediatrician and psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott began writing about the idea of “good-enough” parenting—a term he coined,…
Five Ways to Feel Like You’re Doing Enough
My college roommate, Leila, only needed five hours of sleep per night to feel rested. Calm and cheerful, Leila easily completed the assignments…
Move yourself happy!
Everyone knows the benefits of exercise: stronger muscles, more energy, weight management, better sleep. A mood boost is often tacked on as a…
103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known
Several years ago on my 68th birthday I wrote up 68 bits of advice for my adult children, and posted them here. The bits were extremely…
15 bad habits that are holding you back from reaching your potential
There's no such thing as an overnight success. Extraordinary success is simply the byproduct of a large volume of ordinary actions. The quality…
7 Things Confident People Always Say
Of all the personality traits, confidence may be most highly correlated with success. In business, it helps a person take risks and pursue…
How to conduct the perfect brainstorm
Brainstorming has something of a bad name these days. But with a little bit of help from a classic essay by Isaac Asimov, Richard Holman offers…
How to cope with milestone anxiety
Sometimes it seems like everyone but you is reaching the traditional milestones – getting married, buying a house, having a baby, getting a…
Moonshots Podcast
The Moonshots Podcast goes behind the scenes of the world's greatest superstars, thinkers and entrepreneurs to discover the secrets to their…
7 Types of Rest
Your career is going to be 40 years long. Burnouts are an inevitable part of it. Here's how you minimize them and ensure they don't stay long.
There are 3 types of employees. Here’s the rarest one—and why psychologists say they outperform everyone else
The way you operate at work plays a crucial role in your career success. Much of that depends on how you interact (e.g., cooperate, collaborate…
6 ways to support your team
When thinking back over my career so far, I’ve come to notice certain events that stand out from all the others. Some of those events involve…
3 Areas Where Consistency From A Leader Is Critical
One of the keys to good leadership is to be consistent: 1. Consistent focus on the few critical issues. 2. Consistent mood, behavior,…
How to Succeed Professionally by Helping Others
Research shows that even if the rewards aren't immediately apparent, contributing to the success of others pays off in the long run.
3 Crucial Skills For Leading Without Authority
With flatter management structures, increased outsourcing, the move toward collaborative cultures, and the ongoing formation of…
An Effective Guide to Being More Ambitious
We all have big dreams. As children, we aim for the stars. Spaceman, train driver, professional singer, and chef were a few jobs I had…
Doing The Right Thing
One of my favorite things to write about is the topic of leadership, and one of my favorite business theorists is Peter Drucker. Peter authored…
How to Manage Your Former Peers
Becoming the boss is an exciting transition, but it can also be a nerve-wracking one. This is especially true if you are now managing people…
Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection (Even If You Hate Doing It)
When people find out I’m an executive coach, they often ask who my toughest clients are. Inexperienced leaders? Senior leaders who think they…
The Only Time You Should Look Backwards Is To See How Far You’ve Come
“Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things” – Walt Disney
Four reasons to be optimistic about the future of healthcare
In the next decade healthcare is set to become more accessible, effective and democratic, irrespective of where in the world you are, believes…
The strong correlation between fair leadership and inspiring change
A fascinating new paper in the Journal for Business Ethics suggests a rethink is required. Research into 100 French companies shows a strong…
4 Habits Of The Most Resilient People
The sad truth is, nobody’s life is perfect. When the going gets tough, what separates those who can hold their own and keep going, from…
The 25 Micro-Habits of High-Impact Managers
Management can at times seem like staring down a large block of marble — an intimidating task that requires the right tools. And in our…
Let me finish: how to stop interrupting… and change the world
We are all guilty of interrupting – but if we all just stopped and listened, argues Nancy Kline, we could radically change the way we live……
Effective Leadership: 9 Ways to Support Your Team
Behind every great business are a great team of leaders, who endeavor every working day to motivate, encourage, and support their talented…
Building Trust Inside Your Team
Have you ever managed people who didn't trust one another? If you have, then you'll know how challenging and draining this can be. A team…
To be a great leader, you need to start by leading yourself
Most people go into top positions with good intentions, but those often crumble due to the demands — and perks — of the job. If you want to…
A Manager’s Guide to Helping Teams Face Down Uncertainty, Burnout and Perfectionism
“‘There are two kinds of people who don’t experience painful emotions such as anxiety or disappointment, sadness, envy,’ writes psychologist…
It’s Okay to Be Good and Not Great
“Good is the enemy of great” is one of the most popular self-improvement expressions there is. It’s the first sentence of an international…
How to listen — really listen — to someone you don’t agree with
Listening may not be the most exciting part of conversation, but it’s essential if you want to have a meaningful exchange with another person.…
The Key Skill We Rarely Learn: How to Feel Your Feelings
In my family, I was the “emotional one.” Even as I kid I remember throwing angry tantrums when things didn’t go my way, crying when I got hurt…
6 Habits You Should Quit This Year for a Better Future
Most people underestimate how our small daily actions shape our future. They think that big life changes lead to huge differences in our lives,…
3-2-1: Innovative thinking, the trap of self-pity, and how to spend your time
When was the last time you felt a sense of wonder and awe? What can that experience teach you about how to spend your time?
Here’s how leaders can guide alternate career paths
Management has long been thought of as a necessary step of upward progression in a person’s career. And as history would have it, most managers…
How to Use the Two-Week Rule to Become Remarkably Successful (and Optimize Your Bucket List)
Two weeks is all it takes to find out what a goal means to you. And what you're willing to do to achieve it.
The Time Hack Everyone Should Know
I'm in a complicated relationship with my phone. So much so that I’ve never used the screen time function, choosing to live in denial rather…
4 ways to show your leadership skills in a job interview
Congratulations, you’ve got a job interview—and it’s even with a company you’re keen to work for. But after the initial euphoria wears off,…
Your Body Knows You’re Burned Out
Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis, knows she’s edging toward burnout when she wakes up, feels instantly…
How To Want Less
I glanced into my teenage daughter’s bedroom one spring afternoon last year, expecting to find her staring absentmindedly at the Zoom screen…
The Best Leaders Are Imperfect
How would you go about acing a corporate job interview at Apple? What strategy would you use to impress admissions officers at Harvard Business…
How to Set Healthy Boundaries When Starting a New Job
After a long and arduous job search, Anna was overjoyed to receive an offer from a top marketing agency. She eagerly accepted, excited by the…
Avoid These 13 Communication Mistakes
Words matter. How you choose them and how you use them makes a big difference in the way people perceive you. Researchers have found that…
Here’s how you get employees to take ownership over their work
Here’s how you get employees to take ownership over their work
Bold Leadership: The 4 Steps That Take Leaders To Another Level
In college, my daughter was dating the man she wanted to marry, but he hadn’t made his mind up about her. He was dating another girl and my…
Don’t Be Nice (Be Kind)
Research conducted by the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) found that teams in a respectful, kind…
Handling Uncertainty
“We trick ourselves as best we can into thinking that we can control everything and that we know how things are going to unfold,” said Dr. Mark…
To deepen relationships, start by showing up for yourself
Are you craving deeper relationships and more connection with friends and loved ones? Start by getting to know yourself better by running a…
Where leadership happens
Let’s start with the real secret of leadership: it happens all the time, almost anywhere you look, and it’s frankly not that difficult.…
A Simple Way to Map Out Your Career Ambitions
It’s easy to be confused about how to grow in your career. My experience with even the most successful global companies is that they’re between…
How to perform well under pressure
Ditch the tough talk, it won’t help. Instead cultivate your mental flexibility so you can handle whatever comes your way
Neuroscientists say multitasking literally drains the energy reserves of your brain
Does your morning routine consist of checking emails, browsing Facebook, downing coffee, heading to the train while Googling one last idea,…
Mental Fitness Is More Important Than Resilience
Resilience, or bouncing back from adversity, is a crucial skill for wellbeing. Google searches for the word “resilience” spiked in mid-2020,…
How Do I Stop Being Defensive?
She’s recently been promoted to a senior role, after working her way up in the industry from an entry level position. But she’s become a leader…
The Future Storyteller of Our World Is You
Think back to your childhood and make a list of the life experiences that stand out in your memory. I guarantee you’ll find a story worth…
Motivating your team means letting go
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of…
How Can Leaders Help Their Teams To Better Manage Stress?
Stress is both a good and a bad thing. Some level of stress in the workplace is almost unavoidable and – in fact – helps to drive performance.…
3 Roadblocks to Avoid for Optimal Team Performance
Working on a team is complicated. Senior and departmental leaders often struggle with a multitude of demands on their time. These demands then…
Resilience: The whole-company fitness challenge
In 2019, rising volatility was an issue for many companies around the world. In 2021, it’s an issue for everyone. The past 18 months have been…
7 Simple Things That Strengthen Clarity During Complexity
When complexities fill your mind, worry weakens your knees. Complexity drives out clarity. Shadows become reality. Dread dilutes ability.…
What Leaders Can Learn from the Most Efficient Exit Interview Ever
A few weeks ago, I was in a conversation with a group of senior managers when one of them told a story that put what has come to be known as…
How to Help Your Team Get Out of a Lull
Leaders today are facing a challenge. While they need their employees to get up to speed, feel the competitive hunger to win again, and to…
Two Words That Win Your Audience’s Undivided Attention
Take your audience back to a time they remember with fondness. Tie in that story to your idea or product. It starts with these two words.…
How Self-Aware Leaders Deal with Criticism and Negative Comments
One of the prices of leadership is receiving criticism. Leadership means going first, standing out, taking risks, trying to take ground. Others…
Our Brain Typically Overlooks This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy
For generations, the standard way to learn how to ride a bicycle was with training wheels or a tricycle. But in recent years, many parents have…
Telling staff to ‘buck up’ breaks management’s golden rule
When I was at primary school there was a particularly fierce dinner lady who saw it as her duty to make sure all children always ate everything…
How to Create a Culture of Big Ideas
You’ve made it to the leadership role you’re in by being an idea person, but you have new responsibilities and can’t be the only one doing that…
How our childhoods help us make sense of work problems
People who come to see me for work therapy are usually troubled by behaviour they know is damaging their career or business, but are unable to…
Know Your Audience – Tips for Tailored Communications
Many of us have spent countless hours crafting our communications. Our time is intended to create the perfect pitch to investors, customers, or…
Want a More Resilient Business? Here’s How to Transform Your Organization Into an Organism
Families, machines, brains, political systems. We’ve come up with all kinds of metaphors to help us understand what a high functioning and…
Leaders: Here are 3 ways to guide your teams through continued uncertainty
Since March of 2020, when the first stay-at-home orders were being issued within the U.S., Americans have been waiting for the COVID-19…
5 questions emotionally intelligent leaders ask themselves every day
Since we’ve become increasingly aware of emotional intelligence, or EI, a great deal of focus has been on the importance of emotional…
The power of no: how to build strong, healthy boundaries
When we find it difficult to say ‘no’ at work or at home, our responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming. For good mental health,…
Want to Be a World-Class Problem Solver? Science Says the Trick Is to Embrace the Subtraction Habit
When I worked in book manufacturing, numbers were everything. So we tracked books per hour and job changeover times. But our manager felt we…
4 ways to make people feel valued at work, even when you’re not all together
Remember how it felt when someone looked you in the eye, gave you a firm handshake and said with feeling, “Thank you so much”? In today’s…
When You Eat Can Be Just as Important as What You Eat
By doing something as small as adjusting your mealtimes, you can re-set your body clock and improve your health, says chronobiologist Emily…
Is Your Motivation Still on Vacation?
There are many reasons why you might be having a hard time getting work done after your vacation. Before you can take steps to energize…
Six Characteristics That Make a Highly Effective Team
Great teams don't just happen. Those teams that fit together like puzzle pieces are the result of hard work and thoughtful leadership. But what…
Saying “No” with Grace
Yesterday, I said “no” to someone, and this is what they wrote back to me: “Thanks for the quick, productive, and honest conversation.”
Why connection in the workplace matters
Creating a more connected workplace doesn't mean making people feel like one big happy family. Real connection is about relating to someone's…
Working across departments: why it’s important
When you’re entrenched in your own responsibilities, it’s easy to forget that other departments not only exist, but that you’re all serving one…
Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives
How to fine-tune the internal monologue that scores every aspect of our lives, from leadership to love.
How to Quiet Your Mind Chatter
We’ve all been there. Stuck in our own heads, fixated on a two-minute conversation from three days ago. We replay it over and over. I shouldn’t…
4 Habits of Truly Self-Aware People
Medium is an open platform where readers find dynamic thinking, and where expert and undiscovered voices can share their writing on any topic.
The Munger Technique: The Best Way To Improve Yourself
We’ve all heard about the magic of compounding interest. Something equally powerful is mental compounding interest. Here’s some advice from the…
Why good leaders make you feel safe
What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it's someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers…
To Be a Great Leader, You Have to Learn How to Delegate Well
One of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from doing to leading. As a new manager you can get away with holding on…
Lessons from Britain’s pandemic on promoting innovation
“WHAT IS IMPORTANT is seldom urgent,” declared Dwight Eisenhower. “And what is urgent is seldom important.” Eisenhower did not have to lead…
What makes a great leader, explained in eight counterintuitive charts
A couple of years after starting my most recent company, I had a scary realization. I noticed that by the time the business had grown to a…
The Importance Of Sleep
Lack of sleep is no trivial matter. Sleep plays a vital role in the regenerative processes of every tissue in the human body. Failure to get…
3 Ways to Make the Most of Stress
Have you been wishing you felt less stressed at work lately? With looming deadlines, demanding bosses, and devices that are hard to switch off,…