The most disciplined leaders I know are able to shift not just their minds but their moods as they move from one topic to the next in a day’s worth of meetings. Are you leading people? If you had an awful budget meeting with your SVP right before … [Read more...] about Context switching is mood switching
Less is more
No CEO wants to read a 30-page briefing doc before a media interview. No CEO has time to memorize a dozen soundbites. Nor should said CEO deliver 12 different soundbites in her CNBC interview. Give your brilliant, motivated CEO three soundbites. … [Read more...] about Less is more
Is panic a strategy?
Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is The Way, is the perfect read for anyone facing huge unexpected, constant change. LIKE ALL OF US RIGHT NOW. Our nervous systems may go a bit crazy, which messes with our ability to make good decisions. Here’s Ryan on … [Read more...] about Is panic a strategy?
Less babbling please!
Saying less is so much better than saying more. ALWAYS. There are three absolutely vital skills every great communicator must master: Pause. Repeat yourself. Choose your words before you speak. It’s human nature when someone asks a … [Read more...] about Less babbling please!
Questions are vital data!
You’ve just finished your brilliant twenty minute presentation on your new genAI-enabled customer service solution, but the customer’s only question at the end is: “What have you heard about capacitor tariffs?” What? You may be thinking, “Was this … [Read more...] about Questions are vital data!
Use your forcing functions
Almost every communications leader I’ve met wants to help their executives become better communicators, whether it’s for the All Hands, an industry panel, or CNBC. But it’s a rare executive that wants to devote time to skill-building when there’s … [Read more...] about Use your forcing functions
Stack rank your worries
When nothing feels certain, it can really help to focus on the basics. Don’t know whether or how tariffs will impact your business or what you’ll say about them when they do? Don’t know how the latest foundation model or lightweight open source model … [Read more...] about Stack rank your worries
“I love that question!”
Spring conference season is here. Are you leading a breakout? You’ll want to encourage and engage with questions from the people who chose to come to your session. A user conference is about building a deeper relationship with your audiences, making … [Read more...] about “I love that question!”
Thanks for coming to my session!
Spring conference season is here! Are you leading a breakout session? Start by saying THANK YOU to the people who chose to walk into your session room! Acknowledge your audience’s discernment and good taste. They chose YOUR session, after … [Read more...] about Thanks for coming to my session!
Your eyebrows
I couldn't care less what your eyebrows are doing when you’re doing a media interview or a talk. Why? Because if you over-rotate on worrying about what’s up with your eyebrows, your face will look even stranger and you’ll forget your … [Read more...] about Your eyebrows
