• A Mind to Grow

    Attitude matters. A lot. If you think you can improve with hard work, you can. If you believe performance is limited by talent or physical characteristics, it is. Both are true. Talent matters. Anatomy makes a difference. But with the right attitude, you can overcome the limits of natural ability.

  • Active Constructive Responding

    How do you respond when someone tells you about something good that happened to them? Do you say “That’s great, congratulations!” while hurrying to your next meeting? If so, you are missing opportunities to build your relationships.

  • On Gifts and Giving

    According to Wharton Professor Adam Grant, givers often finish first. Grant’s research shows how givers—people who do more for others than they expect in return—rise in organizations.

  • Harnessing the Zeigarnik Effect for Productivity

    Unfinished business—whether it’s an unsolved problem or a draft of an email—has a way of resurfacing at unexpected moments. This is known as the Zeigarnik effect. How can you put the Zeigarnik effect to work for you? Read on to find out.

  • The illusion of effortlessness

    We like performance that looks effortless. Truth is that top performers work hard. They’ve evaluated more business plans, played more scales, sunk more layups, or painted more canvases than the rest of us. They’ve honed their skills through intentional learning and deliberate practice.

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Brain-Based Practices for Leaders

Seven leadership practices that work. We explain the research behind each practice and how you can use it to improve your personal and professional success.

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Chock full of the latest brain science to explain not just what you should do to be a great leader & manager but importantly—WHY.

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  • The Choice Point: Choosing Our Response to Adverse Situations

    In this video, Sam Latif and I discuss the choice point—how we choose to respond to adversity. Specifically, the benefits and challenges of actively choosing our response in a situation, rather than acting on autopilot.

  • Keeping Stakeholder Relationships On Course, Part 2

    In Part 1 of Keeping Stakeholder Relationship on Course you identified your stakeholders, analyzed their impact and set an influence strategy. Here I will discuss how to implement your influence strategy.

  • Keeping Stakeholder Relationships On Course

    Managing stakeholder expectations can feel like steering a boat through rough seas. The “seascape” around the project is constantly changing. In this article I introduce an approach for managing stakeholders to maximize support and minimize interference.

  • I Will—The Power of Public Commitments

    You can influence a person’s future behavior by asking for a commitment and then waiting for them to give it. Making a commitment, however small, puts “skin in the game.” A commitment now will influence behavior later. People want to act in ways that are consistent with what they have already said or done.

  • Goals are Good But Habits Will Take You Further

    We may not think about our habits often. Unlike goals, habits are not a one-time affair. We never "achieve" a habit. We can only strengthen it. By cultivating the right habits and routines, we will accomplish more in the long run.

  • Don’t Trust the Reviews

    Before I decide what to buy, I read the reviews. The more time I spend online, the more confused and frustrated I become. There is a better way. I will share with you my approach for navigating the review jungle to make better decisions. You can use the same approach to make any kind of decision at work or at home.

  • The Positivity Tipping Point

    Do you know your positivity ratio? That’s the ratio of positive emotions to negative emotions you experience over time. Research shows that people who experience at least three times as many positive emotions as negative emotions are more likely to flourish.

  • The Choice Point: Choosing Our Response to Adverse Situations

    In this video, Sam Latif and I discuss the choice point—how we choose to respond to adversity. Specifically, the benefits and challenges of actively choosing our response in a situation, rather than acting on autopilot.

  • Keeping Stakeholder Relationships On Course, Part 2

    In Part 1 of Keeping Stakeholder Relationship on Course you identified your stakeholders, analyzed their impact and set an influence strategy. Here I will discuss how to implement your influence strategy.

  • Keeping Stakeholder Relationships On Course

    Managing stakeholder expectations can feel like steering a boat through rough seas. The “seascape” around the project is constantly changing. In this article I introduce an approach for managing stakeholders to maximize support and minimize interference.

  • I Will—The Power of Public Commitments

    You can influence a person’s future behavior by asking for a commitment and then waiting for them to give it. Making a commitment, however small, puts “skin in the game.” A commitment now will influence behavior later. People want to act in ways that are consistent with what they have already said or done.

  • Goals are Good But Habits Will Take You Further

    We may not think about our habits often. Unlike goals, habits are not a one-time affair. We never "achieve" a habit. We can only strengthen it. By cultivating the right habits and routines, we will accomplish more in the long run.