What The Rabbi Said
“The advantage of doing one’s praising to oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.” – Samuel Butler (The Way of All Flesh, 1903) The rabbi at JC’s wedding was a friendly looking fellow, and his sermon was a friendly compromise between…
READ MOREGet Those Monkeys Off Your Back!
Yesterday, we talked about the problem with “monkeys”: If you are not careful, colleagues and subordinates will try get the monkeys perched on their backs to leap onto yours. Be alert for this kind of “reverse delegation.” The smart manager, William Oncken, author of “Monkey Business,” argues, makes sure he…
READ MORESo You Want To Be A Leader?
To be a natural leader, Gary North tells us, you must serve. As an example of what he means, he refers to a book titled “Dedication and Leadership,” by Douglas Hyde. Originally published in 1956, it contains a chapter that recounts how Hyde taught an overweight, stuttering man named Jim…
READ MOREDo One Significant Thing Every Day
“It is not the going out of port, but the coming in, that determines the success of a voyage.” – Henry Ward Beecher (Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, 1887) You come into the office, flick on the light, and — if your inbox looks like mine — are suddenly assaulted by…
READ MOREEmpathetic Listening: Does It Really Pay?
“You may regret calamities if you can thereby help the sufferer, but if you cannot, mind your own business.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (Journals, 1836) You read so much about the importance of listening these days. Every social, academic, and, now, even every business guru is jumping on this bandwagon.…
READ MOREUse You Copywriting Skills To Get Great People To Work For You
If you are not using your best copywriting skills (and you should have copywriting skills!) in recruiting new employees, don’t complain if the ones you get tend toward the mediocre. Here are a few suggestions on making your “Help Wanted” ads work more strongly for you: 1. Write a great…
READ MOREHow Do You Get the Hard Work Done if You Don’t Feel Tough?
“How does one kill fear, I wonder? How do you shoot a spectre through the heart, slash off its spectral head, take it by its spectral throat?” – Joseph Conrad (Lord Jim, 1900) As I said yesterday, you need to be tough to get the hard work done. But what…
READ MOREMore On Being Tough and Ruthless
“Where there is no might, right loses itself.” – Portuguese proverb JB wrote to say that although he agrees that “being mean and nasty is not a long-term strategy,” most people fail to reach their business goals because they are afraid to do “what it takes to succeed in business”…
READ MOREAre You Sick Of Your Job? It Shows!
Almost everybody, no matter how smart, ambitious, energetic, etc., grows tired of his or her job at some point. Usually, the feeling passes after a while. Sometimes, it lingers. It’s not much fun to work when you lack passion — and in case you are in any doubt, it’s not…
READ MORESetting And Maintaining High Standards of Performance
“The only way to succeed is to make people hate you.” – Josef von Sternberg If you read almost anything in the mainstream media about management or leadership, you’ll see lots of advice about making your employees happy.Listen to their problems and concerns. Create a positive atmosphere. Give them the…
READ MORE5 Secrets of Good Writing
Below, you’ll find five of what I believe are the most important secrets of good writing. Apply these techniques and tricks to every sentence you write, and I promise you that your words will be more powerful, more persuasive, and easier to understand. RULE 1: DON’T WASTE verbs The verb…
READ MOREHow To Be A Great Houseguest
“Not many sounds in life, and I include all urban and rural sounds, exceed in interest a knock at the door.” – Charles Lamb (“Valentine’s Day,” Essays of Elia, 1823) Travel the world as you will, stay in beautiful places, eat great food, drink fine wine, and amuse yourself with…
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