I was surprised by the downturn in the economy during 2008. For me, it came as a surprise. I really did not expect it. At first I figured it was just the natural ups-and-downs of the market. But then at the end of 2008 it seemed to explode taking the markets really down and then in Dec. and January came all of the shocking surprises about just how deep and pervasive was the downturn. Continue Reading »
“We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: if you’ve got ambition and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession, regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility. Companies today aren’t managing their employees’ careers; knowledge workers must, effectively, be their own chief executive officers. It’s up to you to carve out your place, to know when to change course, and to keep yourself engaged and productive during a work life that may span some 50 years.” – Peter Drucker (HBR 1999)
Self Development is intrinsic to self-leadership as leadership and learning are inseparable. So as Drucker says, we must take responsibility for our own growth and success – we must be the CEO of our own mind and body. Continue Reading »
Listen to a Podcast on the the Power of Influence.
Have you ever wondered why some people get what they want and others don’t?
Can I make a suggestion?
Remember a time when you really wanted something; something you couldn’t have right away but something you would have to wait for, you pictured it in your head, you imagined what it would feel like to possess it and you could feel the pull.
Communication skills are the glue that holds together relationships and the oil that lubricates business and sales.
Good communication skills are essential to lead yourself and influence others. Poor communication causes pain, conflict, loss of productivity and profit.
Listen to a podcast on Communication Skills. Continue Reading »
A key principle of self leadership is the ability to notice and then respond effectively to feedback.
As I write this blog post I am aware of the pain in my wrist from playing tennis. I have only just started to play tennis; I used to play squash and so I am used to flicking my wrist to get the shot. Flicking your wrist in tennis is not the correct technique and doesn’t deliver the required result; in fact, the result is pain. Now I can focus on the pain or I can focus on the message it is giving me – “correct your grip.” Continue Reading »
A lack of effective presentation skills (public speaking) will seriously harm your career prospects. Whether you are starting out in a company or are the CEO, you will be judged on your ability to present ideas in way that engage the audience.
But fear not! The ability to present or speak well is within everyone’s grasp. I have coached the most boring of CEO’s and the most timid of junior staff to speak and present with impact. Continue Reading »
Fear is a part of our every day lives and to achieve Self Leadership we must understand and work with our fears so that they do not prevent us achieving our objectives.
Or as the bard, William Shakespeare, put it, “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we might win, by fearing to attempt”. Continue Reading »
As we start our new year fresh from the festive season, I am smiling
with curiosity, excitement, and eager anticipation of what 2009 will
look, sound and feel like.
Being a trainer focusing on communication and leadership, I travel to
different countries to run training programs. Continue Reading »
Coaching is the “in” methodology for personal development, but what exactly is coaching?
Here are a few definitions:
I am often asked whether we teach self leadership or NLP for kids; well as a father of a 3 yo (Tasha in photo) and a 1.5 yo ( Nathan) I am still getting my head around this (my wife Zurina is much better).
Today I read a great post by Jonathan Fields entitled, “Six timeless rules for my 6-year old daughter”, it made me laugh, it made me cry and made me wonder what I am in for as my daughter grows up!
Please read it and enjoy.