Enough Is Enough
Anything taken to an extreme is usually dysfunctional. Barry Goldwater, Republican candidate for president, lost the election by saying things like this: "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." He said that in his convention acceptance speech in 1964.
Good intentions are not synonymous with good advice
People you trust and who truly may have your best interests in mind are not always capable of providing you with good advice. That’s because they haven’t been in your position. They haven’t experienced what you’re experiencing. And they don’t
You Came to Hear Me Speak, I Didn’t Come Here to Listen to You Speak
A guy came up to me during a session break yesterday to try to nitpick a statistic I use which is unequivocally true. I told him there were two ways to look at it, right and wrong, and I was
To Be or Not To Be (in an Elite School)
I attended a top-rate public school (Rutgers) on government loans, scholarships, and part-time jobs. There's no way an elite private school could ever have been in that picture. I received a great education. I think the main reason for attending elite
Let’s Talk
The best way to address a business audience is as if you're having a conversation with someone. Don't "present." Don't be theatrical. Use humor, stories, and solid examples to support your points. Don't stand in one place, move around. Smile. Take
The Bully
I received a book order for about $80 from New Zealand. The credit card was rejected. When I wrote to the purchaser about this he responded with invective, claiming my processing system was "from the 80s," even though it was
Doom Loop
The doom loop traps you when: you need cash, you're nervous about the meeting with the prospect because you need cash, you're ineffective in the meeting because you're nervous, you don't get the business because you were ineffective, and now
Multiple Choice Test
What's your immediate response when you hear a new idea from a stranger? A) Determine why it won't work for you. B) Critique the source. C) Try to figure out if you can use it to your benefit. You don't really need an answer
Outside the Circle
Villanova beat Kansas last night in the NCAA Final Four because they kept making three-point baskets while Kansas made two-point baskets or one-point foul shots. If I make three points and you make two points on equal shooting, I will
Proportion
One of the problems with success is that we begin to feel that everything should be perfect. I remember George Lucas saying once that the problem with wealth is that "When the battery dies in your Chevy, it's no big