What strategy secret can you learn from great military leaders?
bsp; Successful strategy is about surprise. Running straight at a problem when it's well established is suicide. Throughout military history frontal assaults against prepared defenses have failed. Via How Great Generals Win: From the beginning of organized warfare, frontal attacks against prepared defenses have usually failed, a fact written large in military history for all generals to see… great generals strike where they are least expected against opposition that is weak and disorganized. History says you need an element of surprise.…
3 minutes
What are the 4 best methods for increasing your power in the workplace?
e book Power by Stanford business school professor Jeffrey Pfeffer may very well be a Machiavelli's The Prince for the modern corporate era. What's really impressive about Power is that it's backed up by plenty of research as well as anecdotal evidence. So what does Pfeffer say you need to do to succeed at office politics and gain power? 1) Stop thinking doing a good job is the most important thing Hard work isn't all it's cracked up to be. Performance is…
3 minutes
What are the top five books you must read?
at are the top five books you must read? I post about a *lot* of books. Most people don't have the time to read them all but a number of readers have requested a post where I break down my must-reads. I have a number I want to cover so I'll do it over a few posts. Obviously I'm posting only books related to the blog's usual subject matter -- don't be upset there's no James Joyce on here. 1) Influence…
3 minutes
What prevents you from living the life you dream about?
bsp; Two videos that gave me pause. (Hat tip to Brainpickings.org) Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life? What do people regret the most before they die? What five things can make sure you never stop growing and learning?
1 min read
What does it take to motivate you?
bsp; I don't want to write this. I want to go back to bed and sleep for a month. How do you get motivated when you just don't feel it? It Ain't Money We usually think of money as the great motivator and, actually, it can be a pretty lousy one. Dan Pink points to a lot of research regarding this in his excellent book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Money is a good motivator only for boring…
5 minutes
7 research-based ways to save time:
bsp; 1) Use The 20 Second Rule Make things you shouldn't do take 20 seconds longer to accomplish (moving the ever-buzzing phone across the room) and the things you should do 20 seconds easier. Via The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work: I like to refer to this as the 20-Second Rule, because lowering the barrier to change by just 20 seconds was all it took to help me form a new…
4 minutes
What are the 6 things that can make you dramatically more persuasive?
obably the best (and most accessible) book on persuasion and negotiation is Robert Cialdini's Influence. This video does an excellent job of explaining the fundamentals of Cialdini's research: Join 45K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: 5 things you didn’t know about body language 10 ways science explains why James Bond is so irresistible to women How can you learn to be more charismatic?
1 min read
What are the 3 quick and easy ways to boost self-confidence?
bsp; As a general rule, you're better off being moderately overconfident. Overconfidence is performance-enhancing and increases productivity. But what about when you're not feeling so high on yourself? What can quickly and easily boost your self-esteem? 1) Look At Your Resume Reviewing your credentials can remind you how talented you are and induce a “reverse stereotype threat” that boosts confidence. Via Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To: I immediately think about my research credentials, a…
2 minutes
