How To Make Your Team Hate You In One Easy Step
A friend of mine has a cat that she affectionately refers to as her “barnacle,” because he’s always there. Wherever she goes, there he is. The kitchen, the living room, the office, on the stairs—he is...
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How Dots Will Make You a More Creative Leader
In my new TEDx Talk, I talk a lot about dots. Dots, dots, dots. Why would I waste so much of my precious 18 minutes talking about dots? Because dots are the building blocks of creativity, and...
View ArticleHow To Be Better Than Saturday Night Live
“You guys are better than Saturday Night Live!” I used to hear that all the time. I still do, although now “are” has changed to “were.” For 15 years, I was the Executive Producer of a sketch comedy TV...
View ArticleWhy The Best Leaders Are Out Of Control
I recently read an interview with Marija Ringwelsky, the co-founder and COO of Remedy, a company that helps protect people from medical overcharges and billing errors. In it, Ms. Ringwelsky said:...
View ArticleTo Think Out of the Box, Make the Box Smaller
QUICK QUIZ: Which assignment do you think a creative person would like more: Write a story about anything. Write a story about a duck. If you’re like most people (which, of course, you’re not—you’re...
View ArticleIt’s Not About You And Your Stupid Little Problems
For fifteen years, I was not allowed to get sick on Saturday. Sunday and Monday were fine; I could be sick then. Tuesday through Friday weren’t ideal, although if push came to shove, I could be sick...
View ArticleCuriosity May Kill The Cat, But It Will Make You A Superior Leader
What kills the cat strengthens the leader. If you have any cats in your life, you know that the adage “Curiosity kills the cat” is not just a saying; it’s a fact. Cats have an insatiable curiosity...
View ArticleHow To Be As Good As Jerry Seinfeld
Are you better today than you were yesterday? I don’t mean physically. We all catch colds, we all have occasional aches and pains—particularly as we get older. No, I mean are you better at what you do?...
View ArticleWhy Listening To Your Customers Will Make You Fail
It was during a focus group that I realized my customers were lying to me. I was working at a TV station in Portland, Oregon, and we were developing a new, nightly game show. Part of that development...
View ArticleWhy “Getting Away With It” Is the Danger Zone
I had that dream again last night. Maybe you’ve had it too. It’s the dream where you’ve got a final exam coming up, but you haven’t been to a single class all year. Have you had that one? For me, it’s...
View ArticleAre You Missing Out On Your Team’s Best Thinking?
There’s a very real chance that you’re not hearing your team’s best ideas. I wonder what that’s costing you. Many years ago, I was the president of a local non-profit association. Among my eight or so...
View ArticleThe Most Important Thing To Do When You Are Leading Under Pressure
What do you do when your plans are falling apart, the clock is ticking, and everyone is looking at you for decisions, answers, and leadership? Have you been there? That was my world, every week, for...
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How To Overcome The 5 Pressures Of Leadership
Leadership is not for wimps. #Leadership is not for wimps!Click To Tweet Wimps don’t like pressure, and leadership is all about pressure. When I was leading my TV team to over 100 Emmy Awards and 10...
View ArticleThe Most Important Thing To Focus On For Team Success
How do you measure success? Money? Fame? Applause? As a leader, how do your team members measure success? How do your #team members measure #success? #leadershipClick To Tweet It’s a deceptively...
View ArticleThe Myth of Producing Better Under Pressure
They are the heroes, the icons, the legends. They are the leaders in sports, science, and business who “rise to the occasion.” The ones who “do their best work under pressure.” People write books and...
View ArticleHow Your Birthday Can Make You A More Successful Leader
There are few things more challenging to a leader than having to lead your team through a major change. You hear all the usual whining from your team: “But we like it the way it is!” “It’s too hard!...
View ArticleHow To Be As Good As Jerry Seinfeld
Are you better today than you were yesterday? I don’t mean physically. We all catch colds, we all have occasional aches and pains—particularly as we get older. No, I mean are you better at what you do?...
View ArticleWhy Listening To Your Customers Will Make You Fail
It was during a focus group that I realized my customers were lying to me. I was working at a TV station in Portland, Oregon, and we were developing a new, nightly game show. Part of that development...
View ArticleWhy “Getting Away With It” Is the Danger Zone
I had that dream again last night. Maybe you’ve had it too. It’s the dream where you’ve got a final exam coming up, but you haven’t been to a single class all year. Have you had that one? For me, it’s...
View ArticleAre You Missing Out On Your Team’s Best Thinking?
There’s a very real chance that you’re not hearing your team’s best ideas. I wonder what that’s costing you. Many years ago, I was the president of a local non-profit association. Among my eight or so...
View Article