What do we really know about our leaders? We yearn to know enough to be confident in following them and, ideally, to emulate them. Perhaps you can name the leaders in the forefront of your industry or profession. Maybe you believe you could be more successful if you could be more like them, so you study their works, buy their books and perhaps even seek jobs in their organizations. Even when...
It has almost become a movie cliche. The bad guys capture our hero, and they want information. Our hero (think "Indiana Jones") knows that if he gives them the information they demand, they'll kill him. Instead, he concocts a plan to lead his captors along a roundabout route to what they want. Along the way, Jones is executing another secret plan to ensure that he gets what he wants, which...
Kathy Cox appeared on the Fox TV show, "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" and failed to prove that she is smarter than a fifth grader, despite being the first contestant to take home the one million dollar top prize.
Technically, she only proved that she is as smart as a fifth grader, since she answered no questions above that grade level. But we know she's smarter, because she had a...
Do you leave customers breathless and begging for an encore, or fuming and screaming, "No more!"? How do you know... for sure?
I had almost finished a glorious shopping experience at one of my favorite stores. The shelves were stocked with plenty of options, and the helpful salespeople gave me good guidance. I made it almost all the way to the cashier when it happened. If the cashier later...
Michael Phelps is the gold standard in the swimming pool, but don't think of him as exceptional and special. He is just like you and me. Average.
How can that be? At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Michael Phelps claimed 8 medals: 6 gold and 2 bronze. He holds 4 world records and 11 individual world titles. Phelps is favored to break still more records at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Nothing...
As I look around my basement, I realize that maybe I'm hanging on to too much stuff. When I trade for goods and services (some call that "negotiating"), I realize I'm also pretty good at hanging on to my profit when I'm the seller, and my money when I'm the buyer. How good are you at hanging on to what you already have? One simple technique can make you much better at it.
This works even...
The probability that he will go to jail for what he did is almost zero. His lack of personal leadership resulted in thousands of people feeling violated, cheated and betrayed. If his patrons trusted him before, his impersonal approach to leadership shredded that trust in a matter of milliseconds. We won't give our support to leaders we don't trust.
2008 is an election year in the U.S., with...
It happened again, but I'm not surprised. As the insurance salesman was wrapping up our meeting, he shook my hand and said, "Thanks for your time." I thought to myself, "What a crime."
He was being polite, and I welcome that. He genuinely appreciated the time I devoted to our interaction. His thank-you was acknowledging the value of the time I had "spent" with him because we all know "time...
It takes something special to sell in a down economy. Unless sales people are properly equipped, it's easy for them to get discouraged and give up, perhaps before they even get started. When salespeople stop selling, falling revenues eventually cause pain for all employees and can threaten the very existence of the business. That's why it's in everybody's best interest to ensure that every...
After taking my order, the young man behind the register announced, "That'll be $6.96." I handed him seven dollars and a penny. The puzzled look on his face made it clear he had no idea what to do with that penny. After what seemed like a long time, I explained, "I'd like a nickel back." He reached in the register with a doubtful look yet gave me the nickel I was expecting. The transaction was...
