Do not expect a narrow-minded person to be open-minded. My most popular post! We can spend an enormous amount of energy trying to explain things to people who neither understand nor care to understand. It often leads to frustration, because no matter how carefully we explain,

Ask yourself this question before speaking. It will keep you focused on making a positive difference - not just proving how smart or right you are. Life is good. Marshall Please visit https://t.co/iKOo9qeWf6. It might help you make a positive difference.

One of the greatest challenges in life for successful people is goal obsession. We can become so focused on achieving a goal that we forget what is truly important. We can forget our deeper values. Business leaders can make a great deal of money and lose meaningful

At the top, success in leadership is not an IQ contest. My friend Mark Thompson is the world expert on helping potential CEOs prepare for the role and succeed after they get the job. His reflection is simple and profound. These candidates are all smart. They all have deep

"I am chronically over-committed." I hear this every day from the successful people that I coach. Given my knowledge of you, my readers, this phrase probably applies to you. Several years ago I was asked to speak at a Women's Leadership Program for UBS in Zurich. The speaker

Many people spend more time planning their vacations than planning their lives. There is very little that you can do that is more important than finding an occupation that you love. If you love what you are doing now, congratulations!!! If you do not love what you are doing

Always remember, only you are responsible for your own life. It is wonderful to be a learner, to ask for advice, and to listen with respect. After you respectfully listen to what others have to say, pause and listen to your own heart. As Buddha suggested, ask, “Does this

Our ongoing resentment is not helping anyone – especially us! It is very easy to rationalize our resentment. “It is not fair.” “She did not deserve it.” “Why does he love her?” The list never ends. Let it go! We are only making ourselves feel bad and draining the joy from our

In most communication, more is not better. One of the most common complaints I hear from Board members after presentations is remarkably consistent. “That was too long.” “That person talked too much.” “Please just get to the point.” These comments are not about intelligence or

What comes from the inside is always more important than what is presented on the outside. Nobody cares if you are impeccably dressed or speak like a news anchor. We often spend far too much time trying to look perfect or sound perfect instead of simply being present as human

At a certain point we all need to make a decision, commit, and move on. One of the great problems with perfectionists is that they fix what is not worth fixing. The huge majority of my readers feel overcommitted. One of the best ways to avoid overcommitment is to prioritize all

In spite of what you may have been told, your great work will not speak for itself! Many of the great professionals I know, especially great coaches, struggle to communicate the true value of their work. They are often far more comfortable helping others shine than stepping

The person speaking to us can be our teacher, if we let them. If you want to become a great listener, start by letting go of your agenda. When someone else is talking, resist the urge to prepare your next comment or craft your clever reply. Instead, give them the rare gift of

We all want to be loved and respected. Sometimes we have to make a choice. In many cases, it’s fine to tell people what they want to hear. Telling an older person, “You look great!” is perfectly OK. I’m 76, I hear this all the time, and I don’t object! But in other cases, we

When we get beyond being right - we can start being human. We spend a lot of time and energy trying to prove we’re right. Way too much time and energy. When we let go of our need to win, we can start to laugh at ourselves. We can even let other people laugh at us — and enjoy

A classic challenge for smart, successful leaders – especially leaders with technical backgrounds (like engineers) - is ‘adding too much value’. What does this mean? Imagine that I report to you. I am young, smart and enthusiastic. I come to you will an idea. You think it is a

On any complex project, you never have complete control over the results. There are always too many variables—other people, timing, shifting circumstances—that fall outside your hands. That’s why attaching your happiness to outcomes is such a losing game. Even when you do

One minute of demonstating kindness means more than any speech on values. A leader's behavior says more than 'words on the wall'. Set a goal. Do at least one kind thing for another person today. Give one less speech. Life is good. Marshall

Learn to treat all of the key decision makers in your career as your customer. When selling to an external customer, the role of the decision maker is clear. They decide whether or not to buy your company’s products. Yet surprisingly few people apply this same logic to

"If we hang around negative people, we tend to become negative ourselves." As much as you can, try to have conversations with people that are focused on doing somthing positive - not just tearing down another person or group. For example, about 45 years ago, my wife and I had a

Knowing what to do is not nearly enough. We have to do the work to get better. We all know vegetables are healthier than potato chips. We all know exercise beats sitting on the couch. We all know listening creates stronger teams than constant talking. And yet, just 'knowing'