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How to make 2024 the best year of my life. Part 2.
This week, we are exploring a goal-setting methodology from Trent Hamm called "Developing a Real Plan for a Better Life." Yesterday, ...How to make 2024 the best year of my life. Part 1.
1: That's the opportunity. How? First, set powerful 2024 goals. Next, achieve those goals through a simple process designed to optimize follow-through. Over the ...How setting goals transforms our lives
"If you don't know where you are going, you might not like where you end up," David Bach tells us. The ...Want to increase your productivity by 10 to 25%? Really?
1: There were two teams of lumberjacks. "Some were told to work smart and fast, but no pressure, do your best," ...
What is “radical candor”?
1: As leaders, we must build strong relationships with the people who work for us. Yet, "like all human bonds, the ...What must we ask to be a good boss?
1: Unchecked power, control, or authority can work, Kim Scott writes in her book Radical Candor. "They work especially well in a ...Management philosophies at Google and Apple: The same or different?
1: "Google is famously viewed as a bottom-up company," Kim Scott writes in her book Radical Candor, "one that empowers even ...Why we must provide feedback
Growing up, how many times were we told: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at ...Can I transform every experience into a gain? Really?
"Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon ...What would the best version of myself do? Do that.
1: "The noise and distractions are relentless," Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in The Gap and The Gain: The High ...What is psychological flexibility, and why is it important?
1: Success is like a nightclub, Alex Banayan writes in his book, The Third Door. "There's the First Door: the main entrance, ...What’s the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What are the three most important things we must do to navigate the healthcare system?
1: How do we take charge of our health and maneuver effectively through the oftentimes byzantine healthcare system? First, we must ...The seven numbers we need to know to take charge of our health
The entire healthcare system is working against us. "We are getting exactly what the system is designed to create," Dr. Scott ...Why the healthcare system doesn’t focus on preventing disease
1: Preventing or delaying disease is a fundamentally better approach than treating disease. What's in the way? Only our entire healthcare system. Disease ...How do you feel 30 seconds before you have a heart attack?
1: That's one of the questions Dr. Scott Conard and Vince Vince Poscente pose in their book Which Door? The answer: Typically, ...My commitment: Share what happens when I put these ideas into action
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Is there a biological formula for achieving the impossible?
1: The answer: Yes. It's what scientists call "flow" or the flow state. Flow is defined as "an optimal state of consciousness ...What exactly is flow?
1: Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered something fascinating. The people who score the highest for overall well-being and life satisfaction are those ...How extreme focus changes my brain
1: Author Steven Kotler was on a quest. As a self-described "science guy," he wanted to understand the "semi-mystical" experiences he ...Becoming one with the universe. Because, you know, that happens.
1: Steven Kotler was ill. It was the end of the road. "All I would be from this point forward was ...Making it safe to talk about faith at work
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...How to view our careers in a “fallen world”
1: When we reflect on the disasters and atrocities of the last 100 years, it is easy to be discouraged. "It ...What’s wrong with putting my marriage or my family at the center of my life?
1: Good question. After all, "marriage can be the most intimate, the most satisfying, the most enduring, growth-producing of human relationships," ...
What does bold look like?
1: Persia. 482 B.C. King marries queen. King kills queen because "she is too bold and displeases him." King meets beautiful young ...What to do when we are “In the Palace”
1: Imagine we are in a church. We see a table of books. We wander over. There's a book titled The ...Why fighting “fast death” is very different from “slow death”
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is the relationship between winning and vulnerability?
Question: What is the best way to find ten large red balloons deployed at secret locations throughout the United States? "This ...What is the relationship between trust and vulnerability?
1: We are sitting at a table across from a complete stranger. Each of us is given four tokens. Each token is ...The secret to building trust and cooperation
1: "I got it." These were the first words uttered by Captain Al Haynes after the explosion went off in the ...What to do when catastrophe happens
1: The date was July 10, 1989. United Airlines flight 232 took off from Denver headed for Chicago. There were 285 ...How to fight cancer. Start much, much earlier.
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Are you the same person you were ten years ago?
1: Answer? Not even close. Roughly 15 years ago, when author and entrepreneur Dr. Benjamin Hardy was 18 years old, he ...The Power of 3 Wins Each Day
1: "It takes Americans, on average, 24 minutes to actually get out of bed and start the day—after two alarms ...How to maximize the most important hour of each day
1: "There is one specific hour—the 'sweet spot' of our day—that has the biggest impact on both our short-term and ...Why we should plan for things to fall apart
1: While playing college soccer in the 1980s, Kim Butler learned something that changed her life. "Given that Principia College was ...Does change happen quickly? No. But..
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How to thrive throughout the second half of my life
1: "Many pundits have been predicting a glorious new era of 'personalized' or 'precision' medicine, where our care will be ...First, do no harm. Seriously?
1: "First, do no harm." This statement is attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. "It succinctly states the physician's primary responsibility, ...Can I extend my life by a decade or two?
1: The mythical Greek Tithonus asked the gods for eternal life. The gods granted his wish. At first, Tithonus was joyous. There ...Are you worried about getting older?
1: Dr Peter Attia had flown to San Francisco to attend the funeral of the mother of one of his ...Is modern medicine a defining feature of our civilization?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why preventing disease is the best medicine
1: Our belief that progress happens gradually over time is all wrong. Nowhere is this fact more accurate than medicine, Dr. ...What is Medicine 3.0?
1: September 8, 2009, is a day that Dr. Peter Attia will never forget. He had just swum to Catalina from ...Why modern medicine has it exactly backward
1: Imagine we go to the doctor. We are tested for Type 2 diabetes. Suppose our hemoglobin A1c test result is ...Why doctors shouldn’t treat “fast death” and “slow death” the same
1: "As a surgical resident at Johns Hopkins, I would learn that death comes at two speeds: fast and slow," ...
We want to get in shape. But we don’t want to work out. Now what?
1: Tony Horton is the founder of the wildly popular P90X fitness series. He is one ultra-fit individual. So, what are our ...Why we must always keep our word. Especially to ourselves.
1: Many people are naturally "Either/or." "Either extroverts or introverts, competitive or cooperative, smart or naïve," Steven Kotler writes in The Art ...Does frustration fuel our creativity? Actually, yes.
1: Sir Ken Robinson had the opportunity to interview George Lucas. "Hey, George," he asked, "why do you keep remaking all ...How momentum drives creativity
1: "Every morning, the writer faces a blank page, the painter an empty canvas, the innovator a dozen directions to ...How to be creative over a multi-decade career
When we think about creativity, we typically think about a particular type: The day-to-day creativity that we use to solve ...Why focusing on “the Gap” with people we love and care about is destructive
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...A powerful way to become more grateful
1: Remember the classic 1946 Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life? George Bailey is about to jump off a bridge and ...Will thinking joyful thoughts add years to my life? Yes.
1: The year was 1930. One hundred eighty young women had just become nuns at the School of Sisters of Notre ...How Jeff avoided getting derailed by his divorce
1: Jeff recently got divorced. "He was not expecting that divorce at all," Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in The Gap ...Why high achievers are often unhappy
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How to handle a difficult negotiation when the facts are bad
1: Chris Voss was in a bind. After serving as the FBI's chief hostage negotiator, he had decided to go into ...What’s the problem with focusing on “How much”?
1: In 1977, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat strikingly advanced the Egypt-Israel peace treaty negotiations when he made a surprise speech ...Are some numbers more immovable than others?
1: Imagine we are preparing for an important negotiation. Do we make the initial offer or encourage the other side to ...How to avoid those “gut-wrenching feelings that we’ve overpaid or undersold”
1: Renowned detective novelist Raymond Chandler had been hired to be the screenwriter for the 1944 classic film Double Indemnity by the ...What is the toxic mindset that prevents us from being happy?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is “Automobile University” and How Can it Change Your Life?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...
What is the biggest misconception about highly successful workplace cultures?
1: That they are happy, lighthearted places. Highly successful workplace cultures "are energized and engaged, but at their core their members ...How can I give “magical feedback”?
1: The team of researchers from Stanford, Yale, and Columbia discovered something surprising. They ran an experiment with middle school students ...What is “the single greatest thing I’ve ever seen in sports, bar none”?
1: The San Antonio Spurs are the most successful team in American sports in the past 25 years, Daniel Coyle ...“Gregg Popovich Is Impossible”
1: That was all writer Neil Paine could think of to say. Neil's a numbers guy. He had formulated an algorithm ...Is someone, somewhere, doing something cooler than me?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is the real “MacGyver Method”?
1: Remember the 1980s TV show MacGyver or the hilarious Saturday Night Live send-up of it? The show's central theme involved MacGyver's creative ...What’s the best time of the day to be creative?
1: Author Steven Kotler starts his writing sessions each morning at 4 AM. Why so early? "'Non-time' is my term for it," ...How to “train up” our creativity
1: No matter our role or position, the ability to think creatively is a key driver of our success. This week ...How do we amp up our ability to produce innovative ideas?
1: The answer is simpler than we think. "When researchers talk about creativity," Steven Kotler writes in The Art of Impossible: A ...How living in “the GAP” makes us unhappy
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How can I make consistently good decisions in my life?
1: The rowing team from Great Britain had not won an Olympic gold medal since 1912. "By all measures, they didn't ...What’s wrong with being “here” and wanting to be “there”?
1: One evening, author Ben Hardy had a realization. He and his wife, Lauren and their six children lived in Orlando, ...What’s the difference between obsessive and harmonious passion?
1: There are two ways we can measure our progress. The first way is to compare where we are now against ...Do we have to be “obsessed” to be a high performer?
1: Trevor Lawrence was one of his generation's outstanding high school and college quarterbacks. He had 52 wins and 2 losses ...What are the specific skills needed to create a high-performing team?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why terrorism creates panic and hysteria
1: "If it bleeds, it leads," is the old adage regarding newspaper headlines. And, it's more true than ever today. Yesterday, we ...Terrorism: Major dread. Minor harm.
1: "We are living in the safest time in history," best-selling author and Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker writes. And he understands ...Do we live in the most dangerous time ever?
1: The short answer: No. In fact, far from it. According to the data, the opposite is true: We live in ...What is the good news about workplace safety?
1: Headlines regularly lament the decline in the number of manufacturing jobs. "With the shift from a manufacturing to a service ...Is workplace culture about who we are or what we do?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How the threat of “No Deal” strengthens our position
1: It was negotiation expert Herb Cohen's first big business deal, Chris Voss, writes in his book Never Split the Difference. Herb ...What do we want more? To avoid losses or achieve gains?
1: "Imagine that I offer you $20 to run a three-minute errand and get me a cup of coffee," Chris ...The F-Word: Why it’s so powerful. When to use it. And how.
1: Fair is fair. Until it isn't. The actor and comedienne Robin Williams wanted to do something special for his kids, ...
No Such Thing as Fair
1: "If you approach a negotiation thinking that the other guy thinks like you, you're wrong," Chris Voss writes in ...Does a great workplace culture improve my performance?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is the Opposite of Belonging?
1: General Curtis LeMay's mission "was to make the American nuclear force a perfectly functioning machine," Daniel Coyle writes in The ...Why our brains respond so dramatically when we feel connected to someone
1: "Dear , It has been a short time since you were here at Newcastle Mater Hospital, and we hope ...Can a “One-Hour Experiment” dramatically improve worker retention?
1: "In the late 2000s, WIPRO found itself facing a persistent problem," Daniel Coyle writes in The Culture Code: The Secrets ...The One Word Highly-Successful teams use to describe their teams?
1: Daniel Coyle spent four years visiting and researching eight of the world's most successful groups, "including a special-ops military ...How do we get creative and innovative team members?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How do we actually learn something new?
1: Author Steven Kotler has spent over thirty years as a journalist. One of the job requirements? Become a "semi-expert" on ...Why “the five books of stupid” are the foundation for learning
1: "When do I feel like I know enough about a subject to write about that subject for a major ...The ROI on Reading
1: Nearly a quarter of American adults (23%) haven't read a book in whole or in part in the past ...Can we learn how to learn faster?
1: "Consistent peak performance requires constant learning," Steven Kotler writes in The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer. Our goal? Learn ...What if I hate my job?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Why measuring backward creates a better future
1: In his fourth Olympic games, in his final race, Dan Jansen won his first-ever Olympic medal, finishing first with ...What is the secret to one of the most emotional wins in Olympic history?
1: "Dan Jansen is considered by many to be the best speed skater to ever live," Dan Sullivan and Benjamin ...How does ” GAP-thinking ” impact the people we love and care about?
1: Imagine a sheet of paper. At the top of the page is the word "Ideal." At the bottom is ...What is the Gap and the Gain?
1: "Let's say our starting point is 1 and our goal is 30, but we only get to 22," Dan ...What’s the fourth and final secret to becoming a great place to work?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What really happened on July 4th, 1776?
1: On July 2nd, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Britain. The following day, final revisions to ...How the Declaration of Independence Came To Be
1: On July 2nd, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to declare independence from Britain. "That these United Colonies are, ...How the Declaration of Independence almost didn’t happen
1: "Monday, July 1st, 1776, began hot and steamy in Philadelphia, and before the morning was ended a full-scale summer ...
What’s the third secret to becoming a great place to work?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why we should never split the difference
1: "We're always taught to look for the win-win solution, to accommodate, to be reasonable," Chris Voss writes in his ...Negotiation 101: Ask open-ended questions
1: "Give us the money," the kidnappers told the nephew of a prominent Haitian political figure, "or your aunt is ...How we can use “That’s right” to close the sale
1: Jessica had a problem. As a sales representative for a large pharmaceutical company, "she was trying to sell a new ...Why is “You’re right” the worst answer?
1: Brandon Voss was six foot two and weighed 250 pounds. What did he like most about high school football? He liked ...What is “Purpose Math”?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Psychological safety matters. A lot.
1: We are given a puzzle. The goal is to arrange colors and shapes on a map. We can work ...What do high-performing teams all have in common?
1: Something surprising was about to happen. The entrepreneurs had gathered to pitch their business idea to a group of business ...How can MIT scientists predict which groups will be successful?
1: Sandy Pentland leans closer, raises his bushy eyebrows, and opens his eyes wider. "It's a little disconcerting when I find ...What’s the difference between “psychological safety” and “artificial harmony”?
1: "On May 24, 2002, in Google's kitchen at 2400 Bayshore Parkway in Mountain View, California, Google founder Larry Page ...What’s the second secret to being a great place to work?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Must we constantly stretch ourselves to the edge of our abilities?
1: If we are hunting high achievement (and we are), "motivation is what gets you into the game, but learning ...What is the Habit of Ferocity?
1: "My best friend, Michael Wharton, ran track in high school," Steven Kotler writes in The Art of Impossible: A Peak ...What does it mean to be gritty about our recovery?
1: The default mode for peak performers is not recovery, rest, and relaxation. "If momentum matters most, sitting still feels like ...What’s the difference between elite-level performance and everyone else?
1: The answer, according to one of the world's leading experts on human performance? Learning to be at our best when ...What’s the first secret of being a great place to work?
What's the first secret of being a great place to work? 1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is ...Should we be grateful when bad things happen?
"Many people have lots of experience but very little learning," -Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy 1: Dr. Benjamin Hardy's spouse, Lauren, ...Can we achieve our goals and still be unhappy
1: Edward's suffered from anxiety and worry. His body language made that clear, Chad Willardson thought to himself. Chad is the ...Am I living in the GAP or the GAIN?
1: Dan Sullivan was frustrated with Bob, one of his clients. And Bob was frustrated with Dan. Which was creating negative ...Why Most People Aren’t Happy
1: "Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and Americans have been unhappy ever since," is the first ...You can do this.
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is the most deadly cause of accidental deaths?
1: Compared with our ancestors, we are significantly less likely to die by homicide, automobile accident, plane crash, a fall, ...
Is there good news about accidental deaths?
1: "Since 1980, about 650,000 Americans have lived who would have died if traffic death rates had remained the same," ...Do we live in the most violent time in human history?
1: Many people believe that we live in the worst of times and that things continue to get worse. Nothing could ...Why we shop at companies that are great places to work
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why do certain moments deepen our ties to others?
1: And how do we create more of them? Those are amongst the questions Chip and Dan Heath pose in their ...Is life about relationships?
1: "The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. ...Just how much better off are we than our ancestors?
1: Yesterday, we looked at the stunning increase in prosperity over the past 200 years. "The story of the growth of ...The stunning increase in prosperity over the past 200 years
Much of the discussion around poverty centers on who is to blame. "Few people believe that accidents or diseases have perpetrators," ...What’s the big deal about being a great place to work?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How can I build a high-performing team? (My assumptions are likely wrong.)
1: Our goal as leaders? To build a high-performing team or teams. The problem? Our assumptions around group culture are mostly wrong, Daniel ...Why psychological safety plays such an important role in team performance
Why psychological safety plays such an important role in team performance 1: 43 out of 44. That's the number of groups that ...How the Slacker, the Jerk, and the Downer ruin team performance
1: Meet Nick. He's "a handsome, dark-haired man in his twenties," Daniel Coyle writes in The Culture Code: The Secrets of ...The Business School Students vs. the Kindergarteners
1: "Why do certain groups add up to be greater than the sum of their parts, while others add up ...What’s the secret to writing a blog every weekday for 3 years?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What are the sweetest two words in any negotiation?
Behavior change is hard. "Consider the typical patient with severe coronary heart disease recovering from open-heart surgery," Chris Voss writes in Never ...Why should we make sure the other person feels heard
1: August 2000. The Philippines. The militant Islamic group Abu Sayyaf announces it has captured a CIA agent. "The truth was ...When “going negative” works
1: Marti Evelsizer was the FBI's Crisis Negotiation Coordinator in Pittsburgh. She was "a dynamo and a negotiating genius, which earned ...Does “paying our dues” really pay off?
1: Chris Voss has recently joined the FBI's New York office, he writes in his book Never Split the Difference: Negotiating ...Why do I write RiseWithDrew?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why things fall apart and what to do about it
1: "We know there is something wrong with us, but we can't admit it or identify it," Tim Keller writes ...Should I be an idealist, a cynic, or something else?
1: Idealism says, "Through my work I am going to change things, make a difference, accomplish something new, bring justice ...Is our work pointless?
1: "One of the most poignant expressions of the way human work can feel so profoundly meaningless comes from a ...Why should we expect “thorns and thistles” at work
1: Back in 1989, a seminary professor named Dr. Timothy Keller began meeting with 15 people in an apartment in ...
How mirroring the other person creates stronger relationships
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How to use fear as a compass
1: Fear. "We often don't even recognize that the emotion we're feeling is fear," says Kristen Ulmer, one of the world's ...Why we should run toward our fears. Not away from them.
1: Author Steven Kotler thought bravery meant not being afraid. "I thought that was how 'men' were supposed to feel, or, ...Can I learn to separate my thoughts from my emotions?
1: "There's a little gap, no more than a millisecond, between the moment a thought arises and the moment our ...Why We Must Pay Attention to our Self-Talk
1: "This is Impossible," we think. We can feel the frustration building inside us. "The hard work. The long hours. The ...How to use our voices to signal our intentions
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How we elevate the leadership capacity across the organization?
1: The answer? Self-coaching. Then, coaching others to coach themselves. Who coach others to coach themselves. I learned about self-coaching from my ...How do we create a high-performance team?
1: It starts with intention, writes Dr. Daniel Friedland in his brilliant book Leading Well from Within. Not expectation. What's the difference? Expectation ...Coaching 101: Listen. Ask questions.
1: What makes a great coach great? Being an effective coach is not about becoming indispensable. If our goal is to ...Why we don’t want a “Genius Coach”
1: So, what exactly is leadership anyway? Let's skip all the boring textbook definitions. In one ear, out the other... Not management. ...How do we have a great conversation?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What exactly is our organization?
1: We want things to run smoothly in business and life. But is this our ultimate goal? This week we are ...When and how do we learn and grow?
1: "Never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do ...How does meaningful change happen in our lives?
Good question! This week I'm exploring some lessons I learned from my friend, mentor, and coach, Dr. Danny Friedland, who passed ...Lessons on How to Live a Loving Life
I've been thinking about my friend, mentor, and coach, Dr. Danny Friedland, who passed away 18 months ago after a ...Why do we need to stop listening to the voices in our heads?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Is persistence a skill I can develop?
1: "Early-stage passion doesn't look like late-stage passion," Steven Kotler writes in The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer. Imagine ...Willpower deteriorates over the course of the day. Now what?
1: DO THE HARD THING reads the sign above author Steven Kotler's desk. Yes, the phrase is "a great reminder to ...How does “grit” lead to the highest level of happiness?
1: When we reflect on our lives, what are our proudest accomplishments? Steven Kotler asks in The Art of Impossible: A ...Can we make “being gritty” a habit? Yes.
1: Grit is "the intersection of passion and perseverance," University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth tells us. Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle's ...
If this sounds too touchy-feely, it’s not.
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What are the three required steps to persuade someone?
1: We have a tall task. Our goal is to persuade our audience to change behaviors and set out on a ...Is there a formula for telling a persuasive story? Yes.
1: Define problem >> Analyze problem >> Recommend solution. This sequence is the "normal" or "rational" way of communicating, Stephen Denning ...Why successful communication is more emotional than logical
1: "It was just the worst meeting you ever went to," Craig Dunn recalls in Stephen Denning's book The Secret ...What is the secret to being persuasive?
1: Imagine we are standing in line at the grocery store. "Scientists Discover 4,000-Year-Old Television Set in Egyptian Pyramid," reads the ...Do the FBI’s negotiating strategies help us build stronger relationships?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Conversational best practices or negotiating tips?
1: For six months, the prospect dragged his feet. But now there's been a major system collapse, and he is ...What we can learn from defense attorneys
1: The trial is beginning. The defense attorney rises to give their opening statement. They begin by mentioning everything their client is ...How to move the immovable donor
1: The experienced fundraiser was perplexed. A fundraising executive with the Girl Scouts, she had developed a successful system to connect ...Who does the FBI’s lead hostage negotiator think is the greatest negotiator ever?
1: It's not whom we think, Chris Voss writes his terrific book Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your ...What is the FBI’s “most potent” negotiating tool?
What is the FBI's "most potent" negotiating tool? 1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through ...There will always be more obstacles. Get used to it and train accordingly.
1: What do Marcus Aurelius, Cato, Seneca, Thomas Jefferson, James Stockdale, Epictetus, Theodore Roosevelt, and George Washington have in common? "They ...How what stands in the way becomes the way
1: "Late in his reign, sick and possibly near death, Marcus Aurelius received surprising news," writes Ryan ...When thinking negatively is positive
1: "I have bad news," the CEO tells the packed conference room. "The project has failed spectacularly. Tell me what ...How to accept it. And get on with it.
1: Thomas Jefferson's heart was set on politics. The problem? He was "born quiet, contemplative, and reserved—purportedly with a speech impediment," ...How to engage in conflict without damaging the relationship
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How did empathy make the delinquent season ticket holders pay their bills?
1: The Washington (then) Redskins CFO was worried. And cranky. It was two weeks before the season opener. "He walked by ...What do we do when we make someone angry
1: Imagine it's Thanksgiving. Sitting in the living room is a grandfather who's grumbling. "He is cranky but the underlying emotion ...Name it to Tame it? Yes.
1: It's hot. A sweltering hot summer's day. Three fugitives are trapped in an apartment on the twenty-seventh floor of an apartment ...Why “emotional intelligence of steroids” leads to negotiating success
1: "It was 1998 and I was standing in a narrow hallway outside an apartment on the twenty-seventh floor of ...Why we should say, “I believe you can do better than this”
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and ...What is “the Infinite Curriculum”?
1: How does meaningful change actually happen in our lives? Dr. Daniel Friedland, author of Leading Well from Within, believes we can ...
What Are the Two “Magic Questions” for Sales Success
"We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience." -John Dewey 1: As leaders, one of our most ...How to unlock human potential
1: As leaders, one of our most important roles is to unlock the full potential of each person on our ...If it is not leading to a sale, stop doing it immediately
1: The date was April 1, 1993. Lou Gerstner had just been named CEO of IBM. For decades, IBM had ...Why we should reach out to the people who matter most
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How building relationships drives sales success
1: What percentage of people's thinking is emotional? And what percentage is logical/rational? The answer? "People are 100 percent emotional," Brian Tracy asks ...Why insist on high standards of conduct and performance?
"If you will be hard on yourself, life will be easy on you. But if you insist on being easy on ...What motivates the best salespeople?
1: "Top people go where the standards are the highest," business philosopher Jim Rohn would say. If we want to attract ...What are we responsible for as leaders?
Results. I have a new role at PCI. In addition to being CEO, I am also currently serving as the leader of ...Reflecting on the people who’ve made a difference in our lives
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Will everything be forgotten? Will anything we’ve done make a difference?
1: J.R.R. Tolkien was at an impasse. He was laboring over the writing of The Lord of the Rings. "The project ...Is a minister or priest closer to God than a business person?
1: Not according to Martin Luther, the German priest, theologian, and leader of the Protestant Reformation. Back in the middle ages, ...How to connect our work to a higher purpose
How to connect our work to a higher purpose 1: In the first chapter of the Bible, God tells us: "Be ...Can our work bring us closer to God?
"You can praise the Lord by peeling a spud, if you peel it to perfection." Eric Liddell's missionary father in ...Who has made a profound difference in my life?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Negotiating Lesson #4: Be a Mirror
1: The impulsive boss was known for his "drive-bys." Another "urgent, poorly thought out assignment that created a lot of unnecessary ...Negotiating Lesson #3: Slow. It. Down.
1: Chris Voss and the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit were stuck. They were five hours into a negotiation with bank robbers ...Negotiating Lesson #2: Listen Well.
1: The call came in at 8:30 a.m. A robbery at a Chase Bank in Brooklyn had gone south. Three ...Negotiating Lesson #1: Begin with a discovery mindset
1: New York City. September 30, 1993. It was a brisk autumn morning. The time was 8:30 AM. "Two masked bank robbers trigger an ...Who is on my “Life’s Board of Directors”?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Is there a version of feedback we won’t take so personally?
1: Gathering, acting on, and following up on feedback is central to our strategy of becoming a better leader, Marshall ...Why some people are trainable, and some are not
1: Imagine a room full of out-of-shape people, Marshall Goldsmith writes in What Got You Here Won't Get You There. They ...
We do not improve if we do not follow up
1: "Becoming a better leader (or a better person) is a process, not an event," Marshall Goldsmith writes in What ...How to play two moves ahead in every conversation
1: "Before speaking, I take a breath and ask myself one question: Is it worth it?" That was the question Marshall ...Why we do what we do
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...What does hostage negotiation have to do with my life?
That is an understandable question, writes FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss in Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your ...Why “problem-solving” doesn’t work in negotiations
1: The FBI had been put on notice. The U.S. deputy attorney general wanted answers on why the FBI's hostage ...How emotion impacts high-stakes negotiations
1: It was the first day of Harvard Law School's Winter Negotiation course. It was "the Olympic trials for negotiating," Chris ...How the FBI learned to use open-ended questions to transform any negotiation
1: "We've got your son, Voss. Give us one million dollars or he dies," Chris Voss writes in Never Split ...Why we want to raise $1 Billion for our clients
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Time to build an inner citadel.
1: Theodore Roosevelt spent almost every day of his childhood fighting severe asthma. "Despite his privileged birth, his life hung in ...The answer? Perseverance.
1: What is the one strategy that is the most effective to overcome the seemingly endless problems that affect us ...Love everything that happens
"My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, ...The real story of how Martin Luther King Jr. became a leader and changed the world
1: Today, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the most influential American of the 20th century. And ...How to capitalize on the skills, knowledge, and talent of front-line associates
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Welcome to the infinite game
1: "Peak performance isn't something we win," Steven Kotler writes in his brilliant book The Art of the Impossible. "There are no ...What is the “challenge-skills” sweet spot and how does it lead to peak performance?
1: Author Steven Kotler is a skier. "I started skiing when I was five years old and have never stopped," Steven ...How much autonomy is required to drive performance?
1: Imagine it's 9:30 am on a Wednesday morning. We are sitting at our desk. We receive an email from ...How autonomy drives focus, productivity and creativity
1: The year was 1977. Edward Deci and Richard Ryan were young psychologists at the University of Rochester. On the ...Schedule three full-day quarterly planning sessions. Now.
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Is there a storytelling catalog for leaders?
Different goals. Different stories. Yesterday, we looked a the power of a springboard story. 1: As leaders, we want to have many ...Why the most famous “vision” speeches don’t have a lot of detail
1: "Human communication has its own set of very unusual and counterintuitive rules." Malcolm Gladwell tells us. Exhibit one: If we ...Is storytelling a core competency of leadership?
1: "Organizations often seem immovable," Stephen Denning writes in The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. The good news? "They are not," he notes. So, ...
What is the value of a quarterly All-Hands meeting?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Why top-down leadership doesn’t work
1: Our leadership team has gathered for our quarterly strategic planning meeting. We've done a check-in. We've reviewed our annual goals for ...How to create a culture of accountability
1: "Planning is 1 percent of the effort; execution is the other 99 percent," write Mark Moses and his co-authors ...How clear and consistent communication drives success
We've prepared for and held our annual planning session with our leadership team. We've articulated our long-term vision and agreed upon ...What is the role of faith in the workplace?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Is my work a calling?
1: "What will make me the most money and give me the most status?" This question likely runs through our conscious ...What does the Bible say about work?
1: "If God came into the world, what would he be like?" minister and author Phillip Jensen asks. "For the ancient ...Was work part of paradise?
1: The short answer? Yes. "The book of Genesis leaves us with a striking truth—work was part of paradise," Timothy Keller ...In the Beginning, There Was Work
1: "The Bible begins talking about work as soon as it begins talking about anything—that is how important and basic ...Why quarterly conversations are better than annual performance reviews
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...How We Can Change for the Better
1: "It's a lot harder to change people's perception of our behavior than it is to change our behavior," writes ...Why apologizing is the “magic move”
1: Ted was a "smart, personable, hard-working, deliver-the-numbers-and-live-the-values type, cherished by his bosses, admired by his colleagues, and loved by ...How to pay attention to what our world is telling us
"Oh my," Barry thought. "Peter, who has the power to block some of my initiatives, hates my guts." This flash of ...Why gathering feedback is critical to becoming a successful leader
1: Reality check: It is easier to see problems in others than to see them in ourselves. "As human beings we ...What’s the difference between a “high, hard goal” and a “clear goal”?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...How to make 2023 the best year of your life. Part 3 of 3.
1: How do we "develop a real plan for a better life?" Trent Hamm tells us we start by selecting the ...How to make 2023 the best year of your life. Part 2 of 3.
This week, we are exploring a goal-setting methodology from Trent Hamm called "Developing a Real Plan for a Better Life." Yesterday, ...How to make 2023 the best year of your life. Part 1 of 3.
1: That's the opportunity. How? By setting powerful 2023 goals and then achieving those goals through a simple process designed to optimize ...Can goal-setting transform our lives?
"If you don't know where you are going, you might not like were you end up," David Bach tells us. The ...What are high, hard goals, and why are they important?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...How will allows us to turn obstacles into opportunities
"In the meantime, cling tooth and nail to the following rule: not to give in to adversity, not to trust ...
What story are we telling ourselves?
"Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed—and you haven't been." -Marcus Aurelius 1: The year was 1966. ...How to use obstacles against themselves
1: Don't just stand there. Do something. Really? Not always, Ryan Holiday writes in The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of ...In praise of the flank attack
1: George Washington, father of our country. "Brave and bold general, towering over everything he surveyed, repelling the occupied and ...Goal Setting 101
1: Is a well-crafted to-do list, executed daily, the secret to achieving our life's purpose? This week we've looked at the ...How to put purpose into practice
1: Yesterday, we discovered the mission statement for our lives. Our Massively. Transformative. Purpose. Now what? High, hard goals. "Big goals significantly outperform small ...How do we discover the mission statement for our life?
1: Yes, the research is clear: Goal-setting improves our performance. But there's more to the story. "Simple as the idea of goal ...Do you have a “Massively Transformative Purpose”?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and ...Does goal-setting give us two more hours of daily productivity? Yes.
1: Lumberjacks. The researchers divided this ferociously independent group into teams. "Some teams were told to work smart and fast, but ...What is the passion recipe?
Peak performance. That's our goal. To perform at the highest levels, we must tap into four cognitive abilities: motivation, learning, creativity, ...Motivation Decoded.
1: Author Steven Kotler wakes up every day at 4 am and starts writing. "Does this demand grit?" he asks in ...What are the four cognitive abilities to become a peak performer?
1: "Human flight is an ancient dream. It took us five thousand years to go from the first winged human ...How to develop a set of organizational values
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Why the order of how we say things impacts our ability to persuade others
1: The year was 1992. Republican pollster Frank Luntz was running a focus group in Detroit to test television ads. Frank was looking ...How to deal with bad news
1: Yesterday, we looked at why we must tell a positive story with a happy ending to spark change. But what ...Does our story to inspire action require a happy ending?
1: As leaders, one of our most important responsibilities is communicating new, sometimes complex ideas and inspiring action to implement ...How to inspire action with “magic phrases”
1: What are the two most important words in the brief story below? "In 2019 in Paris, the head partner of ...Should core values ever change? Yes, but.
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How to close our event with a bang and not a whimper
"We had seven minutes left on the clock until the event was officially over," Priya Parker writes in her book The ...How to lead a meeting when no one wants to be there
1: Priya Parker had been hired to facilitate a meeting on "one of the most politically divisive issues of our ...Do not talk about sex, religion, or politics. Really?
1: Everyone fears the "Thanksgiving problem." The "total free-for-all of pent-up grievances that often brings out tears and a screaming match, ...
Is conflict necessary for a productive meeting?
1: "We need more heat," Priya Parker's client nervously whispered into her ear, she shares in her book The Art of ...Why being a great place to work is a business strategy
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Is “market research” an outdated concept?
The short answer? Yes, writes The Lean Startup author Eric Ries. 1: Asking potential customers what they want doesn't work because ...Do small-scale experiments lead to entrepreneurial success?
1: It was the summer of 2004. Three college sophomores traveled to Silicon Valley having recently started their fledgling college ...Should we avoid “Just Do It” entrepreneurship?
1: Before becoming Zappos's founder, Nick Swinmurn was frustrated. He couldn't find an online site with a terrific selection of ...Is a startup more like a car or a rocket ship?
1: We know what to do when someone says, "Drive to the grocery store." Our "hands seem to steer us ...Who’s writing the story of our lives?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Can Our Success Make Us Superstitious?
What's wrong with this statement? "I behave this way, and I achieve results. Therefore, I must be achieving results because ...The Success Delusion, or Why We Resist Change
1: "Do you know the concept of proprioception, of how you know where you are and where you're oriented?" film ...Can we add “too much value” as leaders? Yes.
Carlos is the CEO of a successful food company. "He is brilliant, hard-working, and an expert in his field," writes Marshall ...What got me here won’t get me there?
1: The CEO had a problem. "Marshall, I've got this guy running a big division who delivers his numbers and more ...Why do “best places to work” outperform their competition?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...What makes for a great strategic planning meeting?
1: It's been an excellent strategic planning meeting. Our leadership team has put forward a HOT or huge, outrageous target, the ...Can sales success be orchestrated? Yes
1: Salespeople are people. And people are "like a river; they take the path of least resistance," write Mark Moses ...Why a long-term vision matters
1: It was happening. Sarah Dusek and her husband, Jacob, had started Under Canvas, a "glamping" business on ten acres of ...How to Make Big Happen
1: Dr. Carol Clinton was an ER doctor and a stage 3 ovarian cancer survivor. She decided to change her own ...Is the “1-Year Plan” about stretching or predicting?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How Nick Saban became the most successful coach in college football history
How has University of Alabama coach Nick Saban built "perhaps the most dominant dynasty in the history of college football?" ...This is just a job, it isn’t who I am, it doesn’t matter.” Really?!?
1: Steve Jobs' father prided himself on being a craftsman. He would finish the back of the cabinets he built ...The answer? Persist and resist.
1: The year was 1863. General Ulysses S. Grant was stuck. For a year, he and his troops had tried to ...Does failure show us the way?
1: The year was 1878. Thomas Edison was a man on a mission. Day and night, he experimented with more than ...
How a “3-Year Picture” stretches our thinking
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How telling the Cirque du Soleil story helped sell 4 million books
1: The year was 1984. "Guy Laliberté, a former accordion player, acrobat and fire-eater in Montreal, looked at the existing circus ...How to tell a story that motivates people to action
1: "Seven hundred happy passengers reached New York after the Titanic's maiden voyage." This week we are looking at the key ...How to engage the little voice in the head
1: Imagine... We are giving a speech or a talk. For each person we can see in the audience, there ...How to implement a radical, new idea
1: Imagine we are leading an organization. We have a challenge. We must ignite action to implement a radical new ...What does BHAG stand for and why is it so important?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How can we dramatically liven up the events we host?
1: Who hasn't been there? The conference where everyone networks by presenting our "best selves" and sharing how smart we are. The ...Why the host needs to be vulnerable
1: The Harvard Kennedy School of Government is an intense place. "The culture taught us to avoid sounding stupid in front ...How to see family members with fresh eyes
1: Imagine a family gathering. Aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews. "Normally at such dinners, no one reveals ...Keep your best self out of my gathering
1: The World Economic Forum (WEF) brings together the rich and powerful several times a year, most notably in Davos, ...What provides clarity during uncertain times?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How to fix our flawed assumptions. Fast.
1: The technology team at IMVU agreed to a hard deadline: Six months—180 days—to launch the startup's product and attract ...How to build a product customers won’t use
The year is 2004. A seventeen-year-old girl is sitting in the office in front of a computer. A group of ...Is entrepreneurship a form of management?
1: Imagine. We are starting a new company. What are the key ingredients to ensure success? Thorough market research? A good plan? A solid strategy? "In ...Is the whale worth it?
1: Chad Willardson smiled as he read the email. There was a big fish on the line. Actually, not a ...How not to delegate
1: We have three basic psychological needs related to our work: o Autonomy in how we do our ...Is there a secret formula to becoming a great place to work?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How to generate sustainable, double-digit growth?
"Jer, please tell my new assistant your story." The Costco buyer made this request to start the meeting. Jerry Swain, CEO ...
How self-reflection takes strategic planning to a whole new level
1: "Too many companies never take a moment to nail down what they learned and, as a result, are doomed ...How to kick off a successful annual planning session
"Agreement is optional; commitment is not." This is Ground Rule #1 for the annual planning session, write Mark Moses, Craig Coleman, ...What is the one “non-negotiable” meeting?
Imagine it is January 1. "A year from now, your company is having the biggest New Year's party it has ...Vision Accomplished.
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...What’s right is what works
1: The year was 1915. Deep in the jungles of Central America, two rival American fruit companies urgently wanted to ...Why we must never stop moving. Never.
1: During the first part of World War II, the worst assignment for British troops was being sent to fight ...Is it time to get moving? Yes.
1: "Amelia Earhart wanted to be a great aviator," writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way. "But it ...Why right action is the right answer
1: "There was little evidence that Demosthenes was destined to become the greatest orator of Athens, let alone all of ...Why making memories leads to savoring
When we practice the art of savoring, do we get better at savoring? Last week, we looked at how we can ...How to honor and awe our guests
Openings matter. 1: Case-in-point: The first day of Professor Sugata Roychowdhury's accounting class at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern ...Why not start a funeral with logistics?
Author Priya Parker once attended the funeral of a close friend. 1: "The church was packed. Hundreds of family members, friends, and ...How to quiet a rowdy crowd
1: Comedian Baratunde Thurston was in a tight spot. He was hosting a comedy event that was part fundraiser, part party. The ...No one shows up as a blank slate
1: Remember the time we had "seven meetings in a row, and the fourth one goes badly, and we go ...How to savor life’s important moments
Last week, we looked at how Fred Bryant savored a real-life "mountain top" moment. Savoring is: "The capacity to attend to, ...When boring stories make a big impact
1: World Bank executive Stephen Denning had just spent the morning teaching a master class on storytelling to seventy executives ...What are our assumptions about great stories?
1: To tell a great business story, there are many things we know, writes Stephen Denning in The Leader's Guide to ...Beware the well-told story!
1: Until recently, leadership and storytelling were thought to live in two separate worlds. Stephen Denning describes himself as having made ...How telling the right story changes everything
1: It was the mid-1990s. Stephen Denning was successfully climbing the managerial ladder at the World Bank, the large international ...How to savor a real-life “mountain top” moment
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Why the myth of the lone genius is wrong
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." —Helen Keller 1: Together, J. R. R. Tolkien's The ...What Ringo Starr needed to hit the high notes
On March 29, 1967, John Lennon and Paul McCartney worked on a song for Ringo Star to sing, which they ...How doing “busy” work limits our potential
Yesterday, we looked at the power of asking Who, not How. After attempting to negotiate the sale of his company ...
Should we pay someone to help us? Yes.
Entrepreneur Wes Sierk was elated when he received an unsolicited offer to buy his company. 1: "Given that the potential buyer ...What’s the value of our personal balance sheet?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...What’s in between destructive conflict and artificial harmony?
"Remember, the state of a leader is socially contagious within a culture," Dr. Daniel Friedland writes in Leading Well from Within. 1: ...How to navigate to the peak of the performance curve
1: Imagine a crisis. One moment our organization is performing well. But then, something happens. Adversity strikes. Growth stalls or ...What is the dreaded drama triangle?
How often do we show up as the Persecutor? The Rescuer? The Victim? 1: Back in 1968, Harvard Professor Stephen Karpman ...Why workplace culture matters
1: The data is crystal clear. A 48 percent decrease in safety incidents. A 37 percent decrease in absenteeism. A 41 ...Do we trust we are on the right path?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Is arguing, complaining, or giving up a choice?
1: It was 1974. Major League pitcher Tommy John blew out his arm. He damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in ...The art of not panicking…
"At 150 miles above Earth in a spaceship smaller than a VW," writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the ...Why we must learn to steady our nerves
"What such a man needs is not courage but nerve control, cool headedness. This he can get only by practice." ...The obstacle in front of us.
The king believed his people had grown soft and entitled. He decided to teach them a lesson. 1: "His plan was ...Who are you grateful for? Tell them!
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Blissful torture
There was a key in the envelope and a note that read: "To be continued." That was it. Four months earlier, ...How did the invitation tell the guests: This is going to be a rager
"Parking for your Landspeeder, Sandcrawler, or other transportation vehicle will be provided," read the invitation to the Star Wars: The ...Does the event begin before the event begins?
The short answer? Yes. Our gathering actually begins at the moment our guests first hear of it. "This may sound obvious, ...How did doing ten push-ups in front of colleagues make it better?
Professional facilitator Priya Parker was leading a two-day retreat for a group of twenty consultants just outside Bangkok. 1: "In Thailand, ...Being grateful for what’s sweet. And what’s salty.
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How to end strong
"Many of my clients are surprised that their audiences "just don't get it," Esther Choi writes in Let the Story ...How to introduce yourself
Imagine a panel discussion or similar event. "Introduce yourself," the host says. "Most likely, introduction is full of facts," writes ...Why we must learn to set the hook. I’m not talking about fishing.
1: When someone asks Esther Choi what she does for a living, she responds with a one-word answer. "Storytelling," she ...What’s toxic about entitlement?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...
Navigating life by asking better questions
Dr. Daniel Friedland believes asking questions of ourselves is a crucial strategy to living a better life. He outlines a four-step ...How can I find the answers to my questions?
Turns out that is the wrong question to ask, Dr. Daniel Friedland writes in Leading Well from Within. Instead, we want ...Creative or Reactive?
1: When Dr. Daniel Friedland would lead workshops, he would ask attendees to close their eyes and pay attention to ...How can I find my way home?
1: Dr. Daniel Friedland knew he had made a mistake. A big mistake. He awoke "with the painfully familiar sense of ...Will you be happier when you get that raise?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...How did Joe Polish get Richard Branson’s email address?
Genius Network founder Joe Polish met the world famous entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson for the first time at a dinner ...What’s the difference between a cost and an investment?
Like most entrepreneurs, Carl Castledine worked crazy hours. "By sheer grit and willpower, he was able to build up a decent ...How Ben Hardy hired a “Who” and tripled his goal
Dr. Benjamin Hardy was about to launch his first book, Willpower Doesn't Work. "I did everything by myself. I scheduled all my ...What are the two types of business problems?
There are technical problems and adaptive problems, author and entrepreneur Dean Jackson believes. "Technical problems are when the answer is already ...Love of fate? Yes.
1: There is a big difference between perfectionism and optimizing. Perfection is a distant star we can never reach. After all, there ...What happens when we fail to practice objectivity?
"A deer's brain tells it to run because things are bad," writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle is the Way. "It ...Why there were only cheerful faces at this conference table
1: The German Blitzkrieg (translation: lightning war) was one of the most menacing and terrifying developments in modern warfare. Having lost ...This thing in front of us…
1: "This issue. This obstacle—this frustrating, unfortunate, problematic, unexpected problem preventing want to do," writes ...Why the Obstacle is the Way
1: The year was 170 A.D. Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of the Roman Empire, sat down to write. Perhaps it was ...What exactly is “blissipline”?
What exactly is "blissipline"? Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ...You are the boss.
Nora Abousteit loves to throw a party. 1: "She hosts and attends more gatherings than most people I know, and she ...Why “facing grumbles” is what is required
The big event is finally here. We have our guests' attention. "They want to be there. They feel lucky to be there. They might ...How and why to fuse people together
For many years, when medical teams gathered to operate on a patient, they often didn't know one another's names before ...What happens when the leader abdicates leadership?
1: It's the first day of class at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. About one hundred graduate students find their ...Why a wandering mind is an unhappy mind
"There are no enlightened beings. There are only more or less enlightened moments." -Dan Millman Getting better at getting better is ...How to make them wonder, “Where is this going”?
So far this week, we've looked at the power and impact we can have by doing simple drawings as part ...How a simple drawing changed a family’s beliefs
Shivani's brother and sister-in-law made the trip from San Francisco to Chicago to visit. Her sister-in-law Susan was pregnant, but ...
How to become a better communicator? Grab a Pencil.
1: "If you get your visual on the whiteboard, it dominates the meeting," comments Northwestern Professor Steve Franconeri in Esther ...What is the “perfect breath”?
Take a look around the next time when you go into a Starbucks. Everyone is seated at their table, looking ...Why every time we say “yes,” we say “no” to something else
"What is the ultimate quantification of success? For me, it's not how much time you spend doing what you love. ...When “someday maybe” is suddenly today
On April 1 of 2018, everything changed for Paul Heiss. 1: Paul is a successful entrepreneur. He is the founder of ...Are we playing checkers? Or chess?
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess," NBA superstar Kobe Bryant once remarked. 1: Many of us ...Why we must be radically explicit about our goals
Lars Ulrich moved to Orange County, California, when he was a teenager. "At the time, he was obsessed with the ...Don’t listen to the voices in our head
1: Tony Horton is the founder of the wildly popular P90X fitness series. He is one ultra-fit individual. So, what are ...What’s the difference between courage and recklessness?
1: Earlier this week, we looked at how General Charles De Gaulle, one man with courage, made a majority. "It's inspiring," ...Why we must seize the offensive
"What keeps you up at night?" Marine Corps General James Mattis was once asked by a television reporter, Ryan Holiday ...What are the two types of courage?
In June 1944, more than two million Allied troops landed in France. By August, Paris was liberated. "It had been ...One man saved France
1: On June 14th, Hitler's Nazi troops marched into Paris. As France fell to Germany, "it was overrun not just ...The deadly reality of sugar and “factory foods”
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...What is the art of resolving conflict?
Conflict arises because one or both people are not getting their needs met, Dr. Daniel Friedland tells us in his ...What were the words the son had waited so long to hear?
1: Eric and his son Tony had an awful relationship. Eric's wife had left the family when Tony was eleven years ...Do we change others by changing ourselves?
1: Dr. Mike noticed something was changing with his patients. As a pediatrician, he had a busy, demanding schedule. "I have ...What would life be like without our Prefrontal Cortex?
The year was 1848. One of the most momentous discoveries about the part of the brain called the Prefrontal Cortex ...What are the five “curfews” that lead to high-quality sleep?
Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Will I make more money if I sleep more?
1: Researchers examined towns that are similar in every way. Except where they are located. The towns are all in the ...Why sleep matters in the workplace
1: Initial reports blamed the inebriated captain of the Exxon Valdez for running the oil tanker aground on the Bligh ...Why early school start times are dangerous for our children
Yesterday, we looked at the impact early school start times have on academic performance and teenage auto fatalities. Today we ...Why do schools start so early, and what’s the impact on teenagers?
1: The start time for more than 80 percent of public high schools in the United States is 8:15 a.m. ...
Learning how to surrender
"A moment came that stopped me on a dime," Tim McGraw sings in "Live Like You Were Dying." That moment for ...What’s the sad truth about procrastination?
"Most people spend the majority—if not the entirety—of their lives putting off the things that matter most," write Dan Sullivan ...What question did Sharon ask to attend all five World Series games?
Eighty-four percent of our creative insights don't happen while we are at work. 1: Instead, they happen while we're at home ...What does “Who not How” really mean?
Our default setting as human beings is "How." When an opportunity or challenge arises, we typically ask, "How do I ...The power of “Who” not “How” in action
Richie Norton was 16-years-old. Like many teenagers, he wanted to make some money and spend it how he wanted. 1: "Although ...It’s not too late to make 2022 the best year of your life.
"The best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best day is today." Q1 is in the ...How to live in a VUCA world
The world today has been described as "VUCA." Which stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. It's easy to get triggered, ...Why focus on measuring?
1: Because: What gets measured gets done. Vision. Strategy. Implementation. Results. Or, VSIR. These four integrated elements are the essential ingredients of ...What is my vision for a meaningful life?
That's where we start. That's the question we ask. 1: Our vision is an image of an ideal future. It transcends ...Two ways to live our life?
1: Gallup researchers have calculated a national stress index based on a survey of more than 125,000 people from 121 ...Why we should set an alarm clock for bedtime
1: 1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...Having trouble getting enough sleep?
The answer may be to restrict time in bed, perhaps to just six hours of sleep, writes Dr. Matthew Walker ...The (ab)use of prescription sleeping pills
1: In the past month, nearly 10 million Americans have swallowed some type of sleeping aid. This reality is unfortunate and ...What’s the right temperature for a good night’s sleep?
1: Many people swear by a bath before bedtime. We believe we fall asleep faster because we feel "toasty and warm ...Why a “digital sunset” improves sleep
1: The date was September 4th, 1882. The world was about to change forever. At 257 Pearl Street, not far from the ...Introducing StoryCause
The power of story has transformed PCI . With the launch of StoryCause, we dedicate ourselves to allowing story to ...How to tell a purposeful story that persuades
1: This week, we've been exploring takeaways from Esther Choy and her book Let the Story Do the Work: The ...What we have here is a failure to communicate…
1: Esther Choy was excited about moving into a new house and hired an interior designer. Unfortunately, there was a disconnect ...Why acknowledgment is the “wonder drug” of persuasion
1: "Stabilize the patient" is good advice in the Emergency Room and in any situation where our goal is to ...What’s the difference between proving and persuading?
1: As business professionals, we've been trained how to prove our point. To win the day, we are taught to ...A rainbow in someone else’s clouds?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...
Why “Who” not “How” creates a bigger future
1: Dan Sullivan is the primary author of Who Not How. And yet, he didn't write one word of the book. ...What is the highest level of thinking?
1: Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton was once asked by a journalist how much of the material in his books ...Why our goals are too small
1: Are we keeping our goals so small so we can accomplish them on our own? ask Dan Sullivan and ...Why Michael Jordan needed a Who. Not a How.
1: The year was 1987. Michael Jordan was establishing himself as one of the best players in the National Basketball Association, ...What is the second most important day of your life?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Is there a connection between Ronald Reagan’s lack of sleep and Alzheimer’s disease?
1: The two most feared diseases in the modern world are dementia and cancer. "Both are related to inadequate sleep," ...“I just snapped, and…”
1: How many times have we heard or said those unfortunate words? It might be the unfolding tragedy when "a ...A one-ton missile traveling 65 miles per hour, and no one is in control
More than 2 million people will fall asleep this week in the United States while driving their motor vehicle, writes ...Sleep Deprivation and the Brain
Our ability to concentrate is directly impacted by even the smallest amount of sleep deprivation, Matthew Walker observes in his ...What is the definition of client delight?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why “chill” is selfishness disguised as kindness
Imagine we are in a movie theater. The people in the row behind us are talking to each other. Or, ...Three tips for hosting a great event
Question: Why do party guests often end up hanging out in the kitchen? Answer: We humans don't like big, open spaces. ...“Step into my office…”
1: The famed photographer Platon's signature style is to shoot his subjects so close we can see their pores. "Platon has ...What exactly is “the Château Principle”?
1: The two companies had been negotiating for more than a year. The issues were complex, but the $20 billion merger ...Does love exist in business?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How great managers make other people successful
1: Imagine a brand new manager. Someone has just been promoted and is now someone else's boss. The person may look ...Incredible business (and life) advice from Stanley Marcus
1: "Opening this new restaurant might be the worst mistake I've ever made," Danny Meyer confessed to Stanley Marcus, the ...The secret to leadership? Constant. Gentle. Pressure.
1: Danny Meyer was struggling. Twenty-seven years old, he had just opened his first restaurant in New York City. He sensed ...What a flavor graveyard can teach us about innovation
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, ...What is the real Nordstrom “tire story”?
1: According to legend, a Nordstrom salesperson gladly gave a customer a refund on a set of automobile tires, even ...What empowerment really means
1: Let's travel back in time to the 1950s. Imagine being in the middle of the hustle-and-bustle of the New York ...What is the pyramid that drives Nordstrom’s success?
"Our frontline people don't work for us; we work for them. Our job is to support them in their job." ...
What would the customer want?
1: The woman who appeared in the Nordstrom shoe department had an unusual request. Would they sell her one shoe? She ...What have I failed at recently?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Is it easier to make meaningful change alone or in community?
1: Tony Dungy couldn't win the big game. That was the rap. In 1996, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Tony as ...How keystone habits can improve an organization. Or a country.
1: The United States is one of the wealthiest countries on earth. Yet, in the 1960s and 1970s, the country had ...Do habits explain why our organizations are winning or losing? Yes.
Yesterday, we looked at how Michael Phelps focused on a few core or "keystone" habits that impacted all other areas ...23 Gold Medals and the videotape in Michael Phelps head
1: August 8, 2008. Beijing, China. Summer Olympics. Men's final for the 200-meter butterfly. Michael Phelps knew something was wrong as soon as he hit ...What’s more important than perseverance?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...A master class in storytelling?
1: Telling a great story is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Or, better yet, Act I, II, and III, Esther ...How to think in three acts
The big day has arrived. The job interview we want to nail. Or, the hard-to-get meeting with the big prospect. Or, maybe a ...“Story” is everywhere, but what exactly is it?
1: "At the heart of leadership lies persuasion. At the heart of persuasion lies storytelling," Esther Choy writes in Let the ...Are facts better than stories?
Esther Choy was one of six admissions officers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, one of the ...Answering the “call to adventure”
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How many people are needed to create a great event? It depends.
Is there a magic formula for creating chemistry during a meeting, event, or conference? The short answer? No. And, yes, Priya ...One of the most consequential meetings on earth? Why change it?
1: In May 2014, when Dean Baquet took over as the executive editor of The New York Times, he inherited ...Why a radical experiment in law enforcement worked
1: How might we re-imagine how our courts work? That's precisely what the Red Hook Community Justice Center, located in Brooklyn, ...The Art of Gathering: Why It Matters
1: Life is about relationships. We spend our personal and professional lives gathering with others. "And we spend much of that ...Why leaders must have vision
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Where leaders go wrong
Reactive leaders focus on protecting their egos by being overly controlling. Or by being overly compliant. "In the protecting dimension, leaders ...Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” and how our brains are organized
1: "Fight or flight" or "Pause and plan"? As leaders and in life, how we show up is a factor of ...Am I ready to learn a new way of leadership?
1: Are we showing up as high-performance leaders? Or low-performance leaders? The answer, according to Dr. Danny Friedland, has to do with ...
Servant leadership isn’t the highest form of leadership?
PCI is a servant leadership organization. We have been practicing servant leadership for more than 20 years. Dr. Danny Friedland believed ...The power of vision and new frontiers?
1: The year was 1962. The United States was losing the space race with the Soviet Union. In 1957, the Soviets had ...How to create a workplace culture that accepts nothing less
1: Focus. Focus. Focus. This week we've been exploring "The Nordstrom Way," a single-minded focus on the customer and providing outstanding service every ...A one-rule employee handbook? Yes.
1: Among the paperwork new Nordstrom associates receive on their first day of work is a single notecard entitled "Employee ...Can we train people to be nice? No.
1: "We can hire nice people and teach them to sell, but we can't hire salespeople and teach them to ...How to double customer spending
1: Imagine standing at a customer service counter. We have expectations. A good product. A fair price. If there's an issue, it will be ...Small acts. Big results.
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What the scientifically illiterate public doesn’t understand
Consider this: we need less than a third of the land to generate the same amount of food today vs. ...No new farmland needed?
1: The world has reached "peak farmland," the environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel has estimated. We may never again need as ...Why was Thomas Malthus so wrong?
1: "Vulnerability to famine appears to have been virtually eradicated" was not supposed to happen. In 1798 Thomas Malthus famously wrote ...Is famine a thing of the past?
1: We certainly have our challenges. We are dealing with a deadly pandemic and with second and third-order effects of ...Is the annual performance review dead?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...How to WOOP! our way to success
Aristotle tells us: To flourish as human beings, we need targets. We need goals. This week we're reviewing some of the ...What is courage? And how does it impact our ability to learn?
So, what exactly is courage? Is it the absence of fear? No, philosopher Brian Johnson tells us. It's feeling the fear... ...How to become anti-fragile “Fall 7. Rise 8.”
If Grit author Angela Duckworth were to get a tattoo, these are the words it would say. Grit, Angela tells us, is a ...Rule #1: Expect Obstacles
Brian Johnson has read and distilled the key learnings from over 500 books as part of his Philosopher's Notes. His rule ...Does structure set you free? Short answer? Yes.
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why Danny Meyer believes we should treat new hires like volunteers
1: Today's the day. The new hire we are all excited about starts today. We've used our high standards to hire ...How do we make the subjective objective?
1: High standards? Sure. But the team has been short a person for three weeks. Everyone is working extra hours to ...What are the five emotional skills all new hires need?
1: When renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer walks into one of his eighteen New York City restaurants, there is one particular ...Why hire 51 Percenters?
1: Imagine dining at an expensive restaurant. "Everything is delivered perfectly, cleared perfectly, decanted perfectly," writes Danny Meyer in Setting the Table: ...
What would you do?
1: Game time. A small art museum in Cincinnati, Ohio was preparing to launch a capital campaign. To succeed, they would ...Are there only five types of business stories?
1: In the early 1980s, Harley-Davidson, the once-iconic motorcycle company, had hit rock bottom. It was "an operation that looked ...How to listen aggressively
1: Perhaps you have a friend like Jane. "She is funny and social, a talker who uses her eyes, face, hands, ...How to ask “Crazy Good Questions”
It is the holiday season. This week many of us will have the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends ...What was the most important day of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and why?
1: The phone rang around midnight as Martin Luther King Jr. was getting ready for bed. It was January 27th, 1956, ...From hesitant participant to undisputed leader
1: The greatest American civil rights leader was at first an unwilling one. In September 1954, Martin Luther King Jr. was ...What Abraham Lincoln can teach us about reclaiming our emotional balance
1: Following their defeat in Pennsylvania at Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee and his Confederate Army retreated toward the refuge of ...Dealing with the worst possible news
1: Eleven days after the Union victory at Gettysburg and ten days after General Ulysses S. Grant's crucial triumph at ...How to be more proactive
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How to make a momentous decision
1: In early June of 1944, the success or failure of the D-Day invasion rested on the shoulders of Dwight ...When should catharsis and cool reflection win out?
1: Dwight Eisenhower was furious. D-Day was only weeks away. As the Supreme Commander of the Allied invasion of Europe, Ike ...A master class in leadership
1: Five days after Pearl Harbor, Dwight D. Eisenhower received orders to report immediately to the War Department in Washington, ...How reflecting on “first principles” transformed a Fortune 500 company
The workplace engagement results were back. The consultant had conducted thousands of these surveys. "Our employees had the lowest levels of ...Why New Year’s resolutions don’t work
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...“2022 will be the year of ___________. [fill in the blank]
1: How do we "develop a real plan for a better life?" Trent Hamm tells us we start by selecting the ...How to capitalize on the gap between where you are now and where you want to be
1: This week, we are exploring a goal-setting methodology from Trent Hamm called "Developing a Real Plan for a Better ...How to make 2022 the best year of your life
1: That's the opportunity. How? By setting powerful 2022 goals and then achieving those goals through a simple process designed to optimize ...A new year is coming. Now what?
"If you don't know where you are going, you might not like were you end up," David Bach tells us. The ...How do we get the right people on the bus?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How to transform stress into energy
After 15 years of speaking and more than 1,500 presentations, Dr. Daniel Friedland experienced something he had never experienced before. Danny ...How Pete Carroll overcame one of the worst calls in Super Bowl history
1: Super Bowl XLIX. Closing seconds... The Seattle Seahawks have the ball on the one-yard line. All they need to ...
How to manage our reactivity
1: Recognizing our reactivity is step one. The crucial step two? Managing our reactivity. In Leading Well from Within, Dr. Daniel ...How to recognize our reactivity
1: Can we get better at handling stress and self-doubt? The short answer? Yes. Life comes at us fast. It's a VUCA ...Two ways to show up
1: VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. That's our world. There are two ways we can show up. Option one? ...Can we channel our stress and fear into something positive?
Dr. Daniel Friedland arrived at the board meeting feeling raw and out-of-sorts after an argument with his teenage son. Danny* was ...How to live a loving life
My friend, mentor, and coach Danny Friedland passed away last month after a year-long battle with brain cancer. There was ...First who, then what?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Why should I live?
1: Harvard Professor and author Steven Pinker has been asked some strange questions. Over the past several decades, he has delivered ...Is bad is stronger than good?
1: Yesterday, we looked at the incredulous reaction to Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of our Nature, his book that documented with ...How can we appraise the state of the world? The answer is to count.
1: Life is getting better. Way better. Yesterday, we explored the idea that the world has made spectacular progress in ...What exactly is human progress and why should I care?
1: What is human progress? Measuring it sounds complicated. "You might think that the question is so subjective and culturally relative ...How and why to gather client feedback
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought ...How creative tension drives business success
1: This week we've been exploring acclaimed restaurateur Danny Meyer's near obsession with hospitality. He also is an entrepreneur "addicted to ...Why “enlightened hospitality” is the key to business success
1: "From the moment I first went into business, I was far more focused on excellence and hospitality than on ...How do we get our clients to come back for more?
That is one of the most important and powerful questions we can ask in business. 1: Mary Kay Ash, founder of ...How to deliver world-class hospitality. It’s actually very simple.
1: World renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer had just opened up his new restaurant Blue Smoke in New York City. As ...What happens when our values cost us money?
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought ...Will keeping a food journal one day a week trigger significant weight loss?
1: "Conventional wisdom held that the best way for people to lose weight was to radically alter their lives," Charles ...How to start a chain reaction that results in higher profitability
1: "You can’t order people to change. That’s not how the brain works," Paul O'Neill reflected. As the new CEO, his ...How “keystone habits” create a culture of innovation
1: The telephone rang in the middle of the night. Paul O’Neill awoke in an instant. He was the new CEO ...The worst advice a Wall Street investor ever gave?
1: A group of Wall Street investors and stock analysts gathered in the ballroom of a swanky New York City ...
The WHY behind the WHAT
1: In 1962, Milton Friedman famously wrote, "there is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and ...Does leadership require courage?
1: "This new compensation plan is terrible," said one of the mid-level managers. "It will drive our best salespeople away," ...Why the leader must be a true believer
1: "In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a true ...What leadership looks like. It’s not what you think.
1: "This makes no sense at all," Jocko Willink writes in Extreme Ownership. The mission statement from higher command was clear. ...Who’s to blame when things go wrong?
1: "Some may wonder how Navy SEAL combat leadership principles translate outside the military realm to leading any team in ...How we knew EOS was a good fit for PCI
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is the secret to Usain Bolt’s record-breaking speed?
1: The margin of victory in professional athletics is often slight. In the Olympics, the difference between the gold medal ...Why practice doesn’t make perfect
1: Dr. Matthew Walker had just finished delivering a public lecture on sleep when a distinguished-looking gentleman dressed in a tweed ...What are the benefits of sleep on our brain?
1: Shakespeare was right. Writing in Macbeth, he tells us sleep is “the chief nourisher in life’s feast.” Four hundred years later, ...A simple way to improve your life?
1: "Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory and makes you ...Freedom? Structure? Or both?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...Default Setting: Open
New York state began requiring hospitals to post death rates from coronary artery bypass surgeries. Over the next four years, deaths ...Why video is the true “killer app”
Question: If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many pictures is a video worth? A lot. We live in a ...How “a nanny and a bodyguard” led to Shark Tank
Mark Burnett arrived in Los Angeles on October 18, 1982 with no job, no place to live, and less than ...How a red backpack helped create the world’s youngest self-made billionaire
1: Every time Sara Blakely put on white pants that hung in her closet, she didn't like what she saw ...When does 1 + 1 = 3?
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Michael Eisner and Frank Wells. ...What’s the good news about global health?
1: This week we've been exploring the incredible medical advances against infectious diseases and the incredible increase in human health. ...Smallpox was. Past tense.
1: From Wikipedia: "Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor." Yes, ...Scientists as superheroes?
1: On April 12, 1955, a team of scientists declared Jonas Salk’s vaccine against polio, a disease which killed thousands ...Wealth and power are no match for what?
1: Many people believe we live in the "worst of times." The data shows otherwise. Today we continue our exploration of the ...The secret to a great weekly team meeting
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...
What’s the difference between service and hospitality?
Restaurateur Danny Meyer opened Union Square Cafe in New York City when he was just 27 years old. It was his ...How to have fun taking service seriously
1: "Location, location, location." That was the advice then aspiring restaurateur Danny Meyer was given when selecting a space for his ...The secret to creating high performing teams
1: "When I first walk into any restaurant or any business," acclaimed restauranteur Danny Meyer writes in his terrific book Setting ...The upside down logic of business success
1: We never know when inspiration will strike or where it will come from. “I can’t believe I’m doing this LSAT thing ...How business can help heal racial division
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought ...What is the largest, most successful habit-changing organization in the world?
1: The year was 1934. One of the largest and most successful attempts at wide-scale habit change was about to begin. Bill ...What is “habit reversal training” and how can it change my life?
1: Mandy walked into the counselling center at Mississippi State University. She was 24 years old. For as long as she could ...The secret ingredient to creating new habits
1: In the year 2002, researchers at New Mexico State University set out to figure out why people exercise consistently. They ...How a woman with nine cats helped launch a billion dollar product. It’s not what you think.
1: Proctor & Gamble, one of the largest consumer goods firms in the world, was convinced their promising new product ...Perspective-taking in the wake of George Floyd
Last Friday afternoon I moderated a panel discussion on Zoom with four of our Black leaders at PCI. 208 of ...Only Two Types of Leaders: Effective and Ineffective
1: In the spring of 2006, when Navy SEAL Task Unit Bruiser arrived in Ramadi, it was the deadly epicenter ...No bad teams. Only bad leaders.
1: It was night three of the infamous Hell Week of SEAL training. The Navy SEAL candidates were exhausted. They had slept ...What is the ultimate leadership trait?
1: Yesterday, we analyzed a "blue-on-blue" or friendly fire incident that happened in 2006 in Ramadi, the deadly epicenter of the ...Why extreme ownership is the answer
1: "Pushing open the heavy armored door of my vehicle, I stepped out onto the street. I had a gut ...Why the new has to be separate from the old
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, ...How we can use the “rule of three” to connect and persuade
1: Pope Francis has spoken to some of the largest audiences in history. In July 2013, he spoke to more than ...What we can learn from Winston and Martin
1: The date was June 4, 1940. Nazi Germany was on the verge of victory over France. The situation was desperate. Prime Minister ...How to win over an audience
"Show me an MBA and your sales numbers, that’s fine. But tell me a great story about how you got started ...Why Running is Life
1: Yesterday we launched a brand new offering called Running Is Life. We've been working on it for seven months. In ...How recovering from stress spurs learning and growth
1: Many of us view our sweaty palms, our need for moral support, or our rumination after a stressful experience as ...Stress at 36,000 feet?
1: Reva and her husband, Lakshman, took Kelly McGonigal's New Science of Stress course together. After the last class, they flew ...
Does stress make us more aggressive?
1: Imagine participating in a stressful group task where we compete with strangers in a mock job interview and tests ...Does stress make us more aggressive?
1: Imagine participating in a stressful group task where we compete with strangers in a mock job interview and tests ...How stress actually improves our performance
1: We've got it all wrong. We've been taught that stress is bad for us. This belief is harmful, Kelly McGonigal argues ...Why we give away our products
1: What gets measured gets done. Last Friday we looked at the benefits of radical transparency. At PCI, we are big ...Does living longer just mean more years spent “senile in a rocking chair”?
We are living longer. A lot longer. Worldwide, the average lifespan is now 71.6 years. Infant mortality is down. Way ...A triumph of human well-being
1: Consider this fact: Well into the 19th century, in Sweden, one of the world’s wealthiest countries, between a quarter ...Can we live ten years and not lose a single year of our remaining lifetime?
1: Quick question: What do you think is the life expectancy for the average person alive in the world today? "Bear ...Why watching the news is a bad idea
Many people are convinced we live in the worst of times. Writing in 2018, Harvard Professor and Enlightenment Now author Steven Pinker ...Why radical transparency?
1: At PCI, transparency is the default setting. We share the prior day's revenue, contract signings, project starts, and Net Promoter ...Why we must understand the habit loop
1: We think the choices we make each day are the result of well-considered decisions. The science tells us otherwise. "A Duke University ...Why our brains love habits
1: It was the early 1990s. Scientists surgically positioned what looked like "a small joystick and dozens of wires" into ...How a U.S. Army major prevented a riot
1: The year was 2004, the early days of the Iraqi War. Riots were occurring in Kufa, a small city 90 ...How to remake your life. Fast.
1: Lisa Allen was thirty-four years old. She had struggled with obesity since she was a child. Lisa started smoking and ...What is the one thing that changes everything?
1: It was the late 1980's. Times were tough in Texas. The price of oil had fallen more than 50 ...How to make complex topics understandable?
1: Adam Levine struggled in school. He "found it impossible to sit still, stay focused, or finish his schoolwork. He ...Why complexity is your enemy
1: One of the biggest mistakes we make as presenters is being overly complicated and sharing too much information. “Any fool ...What explains the most watched TED talk ever?
1: Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk has been viewed over 71 million times making it the most viewed talk in ...Is PowerPoint the enemy?
1: A standing ovation following a TED talk is a rare occurrence. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield had the TED audience on ...Is making money a bad thing?
NotTheBigCompany. No spaces. That's the phrase we use to define our workplace culture at PCI. It's our business philosophy. Even how we live ...Can changing my mindset change my life?
1: Do we believe all meaningful problems are deeply rooted and difficult to change." David Yeager, a mindset researcher at the ...Can we think away the pounds?
1: Two-thirds of the housekeepers in Stanford Professor Alia Crum's study believed they weren’t exercising regularly. One-third said they got no ...How can I add seven years to my life?
1: Do people who have a positive attitude about aging live longer? The short answer? Yes. More than seven years longer, according to ...How one hour changed the lives of a group of college students
1: Many people believe they are the only ones who feel like they don’t fit in. "Feeling like you don’t belong ...
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something we are doing ...Is all the wealth just going to the rich?
Why does it matter that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita has gone up so dramatically? After stagnating at around ...Is globalization the enemy?
This week we are exploring the reasons behind the incredible drop in worldwide extreme poverty: from 90% in 1800 at ...Why has extreme poverty decreased so dramatically?
“In 1976," Steven Radelet writes, "Mao single-handedly and dramatically changed the direction of global poverty with one simple act: "He died.” Yesterday, ...A modern-day economic miracle?
1: Imagine this headline: Number of People in Extreme Poverty fell by 137,000 yesterday. Actually, the newspapers could have run that ...Why onboarding is the biggest opportunity to create a Best Place to Work
1: One of Ritz-Carlton's strategies to engage their workforce is to create a memorable first day at work . Same for ...What is a “non-negotiable” for Ritz-Carlton to engage it’s Ladies and Gentlemen?
Select. Develop. Engage. These words are at the heart of Ritz-Carlton's three people processes which result in a powerful, positive workplace ...How Ritz-Carlton hires the top 2% in the service industry
This week we are exploring "the system behind the smiles": three key "people processes" Ritz-Carlton uses to create world-class guest experiences. ...How does Ritz-Carlton “operationalize” memorable customer service?
1: How does Ritz-Carlton consistently deliver world-class customer service across more than 100 luxury properties and more than 40,000 staffers? How ...What does it mean to be “Ritz-Carlton proud”?
In past weeks, we've explored Ritz-Carlton's commitment to delivering "memorable customer service." RWD, RWD, RWD. This week we will explore ...A secret to creating a great workplace culture
Holding an action-packed, upbeat, informative quarterly "All-Hands" meeting is a key driver of building an inspired and engaging workplace culture. The ...Why Elon Musk uses simple words
Elon Musk is wicked smart. "But when he explains technology to consumers he uses language even a sixth-grader can read," observes ...What was one of the secrets of Winston Churchill’s incredible ability to communicate and motivate?
It's not what we think. "Short words are best," said Sir Winston. “The shorter words of a language are usually the more ...How Winston Churchill overcame a shipwreck and changed history
Winston Churchill was 29 years old. He was a newly elected representative to the House of Commons. The year was 1911. His ...What’s the secret to moving an audience?
1: The words "I have a dream" were not in the original copy of Martin Luther King's speech. "The sequence that ...A 12-minute exercise that will change your life
Yesterday, we looked at the powerful benefits of writing about our values. Let's put this theory into action. When? Right now. ...How writing about our values can improve our lives
Back in the 1990s a group of Stanford students agreed to keep journals over the winter break. "Some were asked to ...Can how we think about something transform its effect on us?
1: Scientist Alia Crum has an unusual track record of high-profile findings. "By changing how people think about an experience, she can ...Can stress help us overcome trauma?
1: "In the late 1990s, an unusual experiment took place in the trauma center of an Akron, Ohio, hospital," Kelly ...What makes a great person great?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors and thought leaders. ...Why has worldwide prosperity increased so dramatically?
Today we take it for granted if we want some milk, we can walk into a convenience store and it ...
What causes wealth?
Today, most discussions about poverty involve who is to blame for it, observes Steven Pinker in Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, ...What is the most powerful idea in the history of the world?
1: "Only twice in the last ten thousand years has something happened that truly transformed all of humanity," writes William ...Are these the worst of times?
1: What are our assumptions about progress? Perhaps we assume progress over time looks like a nice smooth line upwards. That ...How does an organization get better?
Turns out there aren't that many ways. One way is to find a new idea and bring it inside the organization. ...How Ritz Carlton’s 12 Service Values create client loyalty
Yesterday we looked at several elements of The Ritz Carlton Gold Standards. Today we turn to the final element: the firm's ...What are the foundations of the Ritz-Carlton brand?
How does one of the world's great brands deliver consistently memorable customer service? As we would imagine, there is nothing haphazard ...Why Ritz-Carlton doesn’t “hire” people
Ritz-Carlton does not hire people. It "selects" them. Words are important. What we call things matters. At Ritz-Carlton, they believe the word "hire" suggests ...What five words create the Ritz-Carlton experience?
Memorable customer service. That's the stated goal at Ritz-Carlton. Not "good." Certainly not "average." Memorable. What is the question Ritz-Carlton staffers are challenged to ask ...What is “Sales Jujutsu”?
1: PCI is a sales organization. We love sales. For 100 years. My grandfather was a salesperson. My dad was a salesperson. I'm ...What were Herb Kelleher’s storytelling secrets?
1: "One day in 1966, two men met for drinks at the hotel’s bar. One was a Texas businessman; the ...Why did Danny Meyer “high five” his wife?
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made ...Is our backstory where we discover our passion?
1: When Bobby Herrera was 17, he and his brother were on the team bus headed home after their basketball ...What was the secret of Steve Jobs’ success?
1: "As the sun was setting over the Hudson River on a brisk October day two men stood on the ...What does Jack Welch believe is the ultimate competitive business advantage?
"An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage," former GE CEO ...How to transform our view of stress
1: What we've taught about stress is wrong, Kelly McGonigal argues in her terrific book The Upside of Stress. Despite ...How changing our view of stress changes our life
1: It was 2008. The economy was in free fall. "The financial industry is a notoriously stressful place to work," Kelly ...Does scaring people motivate them to change?
1: What is the effect of showing smokers graphic warnings on cigarette packs? When doctors are asked this question, "In general, ...What a crisis looks like
Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something we are doing ...What mindset leads to client delight?
At Ritz Carlton, they differentiate between three levels of service. There is the minimum level, essentially giving the guest what is ...What is the #1 reason clients leave?
"Why do customers leave?" is part of the research conducted by the American Society for Quality. 9 percent choose to go ...
What’s makes customer service memorable?
1: Chris Hurn's son couldn't fall asleep. Their family had just returned from a vacation on Amelia Island, Florida. Joshie, the ...Can a company be a great place to work with everyone working from home?
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors and thought ...What we can learn from a young girl with a powerful story
1: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 started out like just another normal day. A 15-year old school girl boarded a rickety covered ...Are challenge, adversity, and transformation the keys to great storytelling?
1: "Growing up in the hot Las Vegas desert, all I wanted was to be free," so begins Amy Purdy's ...How stories bring Starbuck’s values to life
1: The year was 1983. Starbucks had four stores which sold only whole bean coffee beans and had no seating. Howard Schultz ...Why Steve Jobs introduced the villain before the hero
1: The year was 2003. Steve Jobs was about to reinvent the music industry. "He persuaded millions of music lovers that ...Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It
Earlier this year, PCI made the decision not to return to our offices. We will continue to work virtually. We have ...What exactly is “stress?”
One of our challenges with stress is understanding exactly what it is. We use the term stress both to describe a ...How did stress get its bad reputation?
In 1936, the Hungarian endocrinologist Hans Selye injected rats with a hormone from cow's ovaries. Things did not go well. The ...Is stress actually good for us?
1: The headline read: "A mother's stress is passed on to her baby in the womb!" The message landed like a ...Is there an upside to stress?
1: In 1998, thirty thousand adults in the United States were asked a series of questions about stress. How much stress ...Why being a great place to work is the best business strategy
The purpose of RiseWithDrew is simple: share one idea each day that we can put into action. The power is in the consistency. One ...Why writing down your stories will make you more successful
"100,000 years ago, we started developing our language," David JP Phillips says from the Tedx stage. "We started using storytelling to ...How stories release chemicals and emotions in our brain
"Nine months have passed," David JP Phillips begins. He sits in a chair on the Tedx stage. He speaks slowly. His voice is ...What is the Angel’s Cocktail and how can we use it to our advantage?
David JP Phillips gets the call. He's invited to come to Stockholm by a woman who represents one of the biggest training ...Why today is always the answer
"People do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future," says leadership guru John ...What is the secret to living the good life?
"People do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future," says leadership guru John ...What is the “magic question?”
"People do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future," says leadership guru John ...What simple question leads to powerful habits?
"People do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future," says leadership guru John ...Why Start With Who?
"People do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future," says leadership guru John ...
How to minimize mistakes in our life
Charlie Munger has been called "one of the great minds of the 20th century."He is Warren Buffet's partner and co-chairman ...Can we see the world from someone else’s perspective?
"The basic axiom of clinical psychology reads, 'If you could see the world the way I see it, you’d understand ...Do we want to go quickly or go far?
"The three hallmarks of a great investment are superior returns, low risk, and long duration," Peter Kaufman observes. "The whole world ...Why our fear of loss works against us
There a simple, two-word description that describes how everything in the world works, Peter Kaufman tells us. Mirrored reciprocity. "Your entire life... Every ...A surefire way to live a better life
"You’re standing in front of an elevator. The doors open. And inside the elevator is one solitary stranger. You’ve never met ...What is negative brainstorming?
When ego takes over, bad behavior typically ensues, writes Cy Wakeman in her book No Ego. Ego argues with reality. Ego wants ...How accountability is the death of ego
Cy Wakeman believes leadership is not about motivating people or solving their problems or ordering people around. Leadership, Cy believes, is ...Is the leader’s job to motivate people?
In many organizations, leaders are expected to motivate people. To keep associates happy and engaged. To improve the morale of ...How to inspire breakthroughs
Lisa was nervous. She was a brand new hire on Cy Wakeman's team. The next day she was scheduled to train ...Is venting healthy?
Cy Wakeman was a brand new manager. It was her first time managing a team. She was excited to attend ...The secret strategy dogs use to get us to love them
Peter D. Kaufman understands dogs. "So when your dog is in the backyard and he goes to the fence between your ...A 22-second course in leadership
“I know what everybody in the world is looking for," says Peter D. Kaufman. The answer to this question is also ...Do you want to be rich?
Imagine we get a "brand-spanking-new puppy from the pet shop," Peter D. Kaufman suggests. What is our goal bringing this puppy ...Do you want to win a gold medal in the Olympics?
Peter D. Kaufman doesn't shy away from the big questions. Yesterday we examined his question: Is there a simple two-word description that ...Is reciprocity the force behind everything?
Let's start the week with an easy, straight-forward question... Is there a simple two-word description that accurately describes how everything in ...Why do small behavior changes make such a big difference?
The power of compound interest is not limited to financial matters. The compound effect is present everywhere in our lives. 1: Small ...The next best day…
1: Let's say we have a friend, Rose. Upon graduating from college and getting her first job, Rose starts socking away ...“I could never do that…”
“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world,” Albert Einstein once remarked. "He who understands it, earns it. He ...What is our true “super power”?
It's the littlest decisions that shape our lives. Imagine two friends: Brad and Charlie. They live in the same neighborhood. They have similar ...The magic of compound interest
Imagine you are given a choice. Someone will give you $3 Million. Cash. Or, you can elect to receive a "magic penny" ...Is sitting the new smoking?
Imagine we are someone who goes to the gym every day. We are consistent about it. Every day of every ...What happens when we fall short?
1: Over the last several days we've examined the components of philosopher Brian Johnson's self-mastery formula. Self-Mastery = Willpower + Habits + ...
How to re-train our brain
1: Philosopher Brian Johnson tells us there are three steps on our path to self-mastery. Self-Mastery = Willpower + Habits + Algorithms. We ...How the A,B,C’s can change our life
"People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits, and their habits decide their future," says F.M. Alexander. One of ...What are the components of self-mastery?
Turns out it's not that complicated, philosopher Brian Johnson tells us. Self-Mastery = Willpower + Habits + Algorithms. Put another way, we ...How sympathizing with our team members causes harm
It had been a long day capped off by a late flight. The crowded plane was finally on the ground and ...Why are you suffering?
Cy's team was in revolt. They had just learned that they were to move their offices for the fifth time in ...What is reality-based leadership?
Yesterday, we looked at the difference between confidence and ego. Confidence is believing in ourselves and our capabilities. Confidence is ...Is your ego your amigo?
Confidence is a good thing. Confidence involves believing in ourselves and having faith in our abilities. So, ego is a good thing, ...What would great look like right now?
The patient was furious. So was Stephanie. She stormed into her supervisor's office and slammed the door, Cy Wakeman writes in her ...Setting an intention to savor this year
News flash: Life is busy. Of course, it is. There's always more to do. More emails to answer. More texts needing a ...How to practice empathic listening
It starts with mindset. We begin by saying "prepare to be amazed." Next, we focus our attention on listening fully to ...Three questions to ask that lead to connection
Today we look at specific strategies to create deeper, richer conversations in our lives. "Strategies" sounds official. Scientific. It's actually easier ...Who are you inside of that?
It's easy to get lost in our own conclusions. The other person? They've got it wrong. How frustrating! Instead, what if we ...Prepare to be amazed.
"Most of us don't listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply," Stephen Covey tells ...How to unlock human potential
100 years. 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of my grandfather founding our predecessor firm. What can we do to build and sustain ...Small change. Big impact.
To build a business that succeeds over the long-term, Fred Kofman suggests we focus on three separate but complementary areas: ...How to be long-term profitable
Yesterday we explored several elements of Fred Kofman's Conscious Business model which maps onto Ken Wilber's Integral, four-quadrant framework which ...Why profits alone won’t lead to sustainable business success
To create an enduring, successful organization, we are wise to understand the different dimensions of business, writes Fred Kofman in ...Is Work Hell?
"Some people say work is hell," writes Fred Kofman in his brilliant book Conscious Business: How to Build Value through Values. "I ...Surrendering control
It was 2002. Tom Werner and his partners had just purchased the Boston Red Sox. "This was the oldest club in ...Is Zoom our friend?
Yes. It's been a life-saver, certainly a business-saver for many of us over the past year as we've adapted and learned ...How a Swiss Army Knife Won the Day
In the office of Dr. Robert Maloney is a basket containing hundreds of pairs of discarded eyeglasses. A sign with the ...Are actions louder than words?
Peter Guber had just been named the head of Columbia Pictures. It was an exciting day. Or, was it? Peter who was only ...Why successful stories don’t always follow the script
Ever been in the audience where the speaker has lost their audience? And, just keeps going with the prepared remarks? How does ...
The formula for a successful presentation
Yesterday we explored the idea when attempting to persuade another human being, we are wise to begin with connection and ...How to increase our influence. It’s not what we think.
"I've got nothing to lose," said the attendee at one of Stephen Covey's workshops. The stakes were high. "All of my eggs ...How to go slow to go fast
Stephen Covey's concept of empathic listening involves many of the topics we've explored the past several weeks. We began with Brene ...What important skill do we not receive training?
"If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of ...Are we listening with the intent to reply?
We typically seek first to be understood. We’re either speaking or preparing to speak. When we listen, Stephen Covey observes, it is ...On Rhythms of Relating
So far this week we've explored the benefits of empathy as well as the different types. Today, we look at ...Three types of empathy?
Empathy is a magic ingredient. Add it, and everyone and everything improves. The research shows patients are more like to follow ...Why connection surpasses response
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Professor Brené Brown tells us it is the difference between "feeling for" and ...How to celebrate someone the right way
Many of us focus on our weaknesses. We focus on improving in areas where we don't currently excel. PCI is a ...7 things not to say…
Imagine we are at work. First thing in the morning, we get an email from our boss with a pressing assignment ...Fear and Perseverance
"I won't let fear of a possible 'no' interfere with my telling," writes Peter Guber in his terrific book Tell ...Energy + Vulnerability = A Powerful Equation
If we tell a story we don't believe in, our audience will sense it immediately. Like intention, authenticity and energy can't ...Active Participant Or Along for the Ride?
If we want to "tell to win," we must turn our audience into active participants, not just passengers. This was the ...Presentation Killer?
Powerpoint. How do we feel when someone's presentation consists of them reading their Powerpoint slides? Bored to tears. "You could have mailed it ...How to deliver a story
Movie producer Peter Guber paused for a moment outside the closed door of Warner Bros. CEO Terry Semel's office. Peter was ...Observations on 100 Years: The Power of Purpose
At PCI, do we publish publications? Or, do we inspire dreams and transform lives? Both, actually. PCI turns 100 this year and this ...Observations on 100 years: The Power of Vision
Last Monday, we celebrated the birthday of one of my favorite Americans, Martin Luther King, Jr. Fifty years later, his "I ...Observations on 100 Years: Becoming a Learning Organization
There's an expression I like: the day you stop learning is the day you start dying. That can happen when ...Observations on 100 Years: The Power of Servant Leadership
Many organizations look like this. There is a CEO at the very top, then as we move down the triangle, there ...Observations on 100 Years: The Power of Shared Values
100 years ago, my grandfather Rocky Clancy founded the Rockwell F. Clancy Company, our predecessor company. Rocky was born in ...Why successful stories don’t always follow the script
Ever been in the audience where the speaker has lost their audience? And, just keeps going with the prepared remarks? How does ...
Two Questions
1: As a kid growing up, what were the best toys? Someone else's toys! 2: Who's happier? Lottery winners or paraplegics? Trick question. The answer ...What gets in the way of our happiness?
"Envy is the ulcer of the soul," Socrates tells us. Today we continue our exploration of the link between gratitude and ...The gap or the gain?
This week we are exploring the relationship between happiness and gratitude. We all look to the future and envision how we'd ...Why be grateful for our failures, mistakes and setbacks
The balance sheet is a key component of any business. We also have a personal balance sheet. Yes, this includes our ...Why focus on gratitude?
What if we learned there was a brand new medicine that would make us happier. It would improve our romantic ...Is being a pessimist bad for your health?
The short answer? Yes. One famous longitudinal study looked at the health and wellbeing of a group of Harvard students who were examined and ...What the greatest spiritual teachers tell us
"Study hard so that you'll get good grades. Get good grades so you can get into a good college. Get ...Understanding the Plateau
The artist enters her studio at the same time each morning. Five days a week. Smelling the paint, she takes ...Why the Olympic Athlete Quit Aikido
An Olympic gold medalist showed up at the dojo excited to learn aikido, George Leonard shares in his terrific book ...A real plan for a better life
We're starting this week by answering a few questions about the posts I did on annual goal setting (here, here, ...Mindfulness in action
At his dojo, George Leonard would sometimes have his students practice a certain aikido technique. Then, he would have them ...A simple act with a transforming effect
"How strange it is that such a simple act - sitting motionless, calming the mind, and letting the heart turn ...Each of us has a role to play to change the discourse
One week ago, rioters violently stormed the US Capitol in an effort to disrupt the process of democracy at work. ...A person upon whom nothing is lost
During World War II as a fighter pilot in the southwest Pacific theater in the Philippines, George Leonard flew 21 ...Using lessons from the martial arts to transform our lives
George Leonard couldn't believe it. His agent was on the phone. The publisher of his next book was turning it down. ...Why New Year’s resolutions don’t work
The numbers aren't good. In his book The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod shares 95% of New Year's resolutions fail. Ouch. This week we've ...2021 will be the year of ___________ [Fill in the blank].
How do we "develop a real plan for a better life?" Trent Hamm tells us we start by selecting the ...How to capitalize on the gap between where we are now and where we would like to end up.
This week we are exploring a goal-setting methodology from Trent Hamm called "Developing a Real Plan for a Better Life." Yesterday, ...How to make 2021 the best year of your life
That's the opportunity. How? By setting powerful 2021 goals and then achieving those goals through a simple process designed to optimize follow-through. Over ...New year. Now what?
"If you don't know where you are going, you might not like were you end up," David Bach tells us. The ...
What’s wrong with wanting to be right?
I currently have the privilege of participating in the Stagen Leadership Academy's Advanced Leadership Program. The name of the program ...How does a great leader earn the trust and respect of their team?
In his book Conscious Business, Fred Kofman explains there are two requirements to answer the question above: 1: Demonstrate the necessary ...It starts with our front line managers
"I love molecules," explains Marcus. "You apply a certain amount of heat and a certain amount of pressure and you ...Unlocking the Black Box of Level 5 Leadership
In Jim Collins' classic book Good to Great he identifies a group of average companies that make a quantum leap and ...Be Vulnerable?!?
Our theme for 2020 at PCI is Trust: the one thing that changes everything. Today, we're going to look at ...High expectations and positive assumptions.
This year as an organization, we have been ferreting out and eliminating practices and behaviors based on negative assumptions or ...Our new 2-Sentence Handbook
As leaders, what assumptions do we hold about people? Do we believe people are lazy? That they lack integrity and don't care? Or, ...The unexpected benefit of being of service
"Twelve ministers and theologians of all faiths and twelve psychiatrists of all faiths had convened for a two-day off-the-record seminar ...Anybody can lead perfect people…
If there were any. "Many otherwise able people are disqualified to lead because they cannot work with and through the half-people ...What happens when our actions don’t match our values?
What is the trouble with coercive power? It only strengthens resistance, Robert Greenleaf writes in The Servant as Leader. "And, if ...Why withdrawing and reorienting makes all the difference
We previously looked at the importance of learning to withdraw periodically so we can show up at our best. Today we ...How to deal with stress and pressure
"Stress is a condition of most of modern life," Robert Greenleaf writes in The Servant as Leader. This reality is especially true ...How do we teach someone to be a leader?
It isn't possible, Robert E. Quinn writes in The Deep Change Field Guide. We cannot "teach" someone how to be a ...How vision changes us
Is organizational conflict a good thing? It depends, Robert E. Quinn tells us in his brilliant book on leadership, The Deep ...The difference between intent and impact
So, when does communication actually occur? Many of us assume communication happens when we speak. For important conversations, we often spend ...Why is there so little listening?
We are about to enter a confrontation. What is our mindset? Is our basic attitude of one seeking to understand? A new leader ...How to change your workplace culture
"Ideas are worthless. Execution is everything." So says Scott Adams. Mike Tyson has his own perspective: "Everyone has a plan until ...Are you a leader or a manager?
Reuters was making a profit in every country in the world. Except one. Brazil. Tom, a young lawyer at Reuters. was offered ...Things were going so well…
Luis' career had been a series of triumphs. After completing a five-year engineering program in four years, he experienced immediate ...
The Power of Positive Emotions
This week we are exploring the power to initiate deep change as outlined by Robert E. Quinn in his terrific ...The secret success formula of servant leadership
It was 1999. I was flipping through Fortune magazine's annual 100 Best Places to Work edition. Amongst the top 10 were many companies I ...Why lack of foresight is an ethical failure
We are looking this week at the key lessons and learnings from The Servant as Leader, Robert Greenleaf's brilliant book on ...The terrible dilemma of the hesitant decision maker
Foresight, or prescience, is a better than average guess about what is going to happen in the future. Developing this ability is ...Past, Present, and Future as “now”
How do we become better leaders? How do we become better servant leaders? Specifically. What skills do we need to develop? What do ...Why Able Leaders are Sharply Awake and Reasonably Disturbed
"Most of us move about with very narrow perception, sight, sound, smell, tactile and we miss most of the grandeur ...How Servant Leaders Build Trust
As servant leaders, what is the relationship between taking action and building trust? This week we are looking at key learnings ...Why Aren’t There More and Better Leaders?
"Who is responsible for the mediocre performance of so many of our institutions?" Robert Greenleaf asks in The Servant as Leader. His ...The Best Test on Leadership
It was the middle of the night. Outside, the rain pelted against the windows. An elderly man and his wife ...Playing Poorly Well
This week we've been exploring how to architect what philosopher Brian Johnson calls "masterpiece days." We think of our day like ...How to W.I.N. the Week
Attention Management is the first module in the Stagen Leadership Academy's brilliant, impactful year-long Integral Leadership Program (ILP) By being more ...How Many Different Types of Love are There?
In our quest to create what philosopher Brian Johnson calls masterpiece days, so far this week we've looked of two ...Genius work or mediocre work?
Genius work or mediocre work? We decide. It starts, according to philosopher Brian Johnson, with asking: Who am I at my absolute ...What’s the #1 thing I want to change?
What game are we playing? Are we going through the motions or are we on the path to mastery? Philosopher Brian Johnson ...What Failure Teaches Us
Yesterday we looked at the role failure plays in bringing about deep change. Failure drops us into a world of ...Dark, Difficult Periods and Learning
“I could no longer say that I was my job, because I had none. I couldn't rely on my wealth ...Is Self-Interest Our Problem?
Business schools have a problem, say two business school professors. "Detached, third person leadership, no matter how well it follows the ...But… I Would Never Want To Do That Again
Yesterday, we looked at how deep change starts with self-change. To be a leader is to accept we must continually ...When Pure Motives Lead us into the Ditch
Erin, an eight-year-old girl, has no interest in her homework. Her mother insists she do her homework and spends hours working ...
The Product as Hero
Learning to become a great storyteller translates into business success. Great stories share common elements: challenge, struggle, and resolution. And the ...The Superman Story in Reverse
As a walk-on fullback at the University of Maryland, Kevin Plank was annoyed. Every time he worked up a sweat, ...How to Change the World
Bill Haber was one of the most powerful talent agents in the world. Then, one day he quit the powerhouse ...It’s Magic
It's 1985. The Los Angeles Lakers have just won game five of the NBA Finals to take a 3-2 series ...That’s Your Hero
Becoming a great storyteller is a key skill to succeed in business. And in life. Storytelling is a skill we can ...Priming Ourselves for the Day Ahead
Our goal? To create "masterpiece days." This week we've looked at the importance of our morning and evening routines, what philosopher Brian ...Why Not Look at Your Phone First Thing?
This week we are looking at how to create what philosopher Brian Johnson calls "masterpiece days." So far we've looked at ...Why We Shouldn’t Shake the Snowglobe
If our goal is to create a masterpiece day, where do we start? According to philosopher Brian Johnson, we begin with ...And today started last night.
This week we are exploring philosopher Brian Johnson's idea of creating masterpiece days. Brian suggests we focus on the beginning ...How to Create a Masterpiece Day
What makes for a great life? According to philosopher Brian Johnson, a great life is simply a procession of great days. Masterpiece ...How to Learn our Way to our Goal
Jeff Liker is considered one of the leading experts on how work gets done at Toyota. Over the years, thousands of ...What are the two types of change?
This week we've been looking at the perils of slow death which result when the situation calls for us to ...Denial Leads to Slow Death
We don't stay the same. People and organizations are either getting better or getting worse. "We tend to think of an ...The Pressure to be Unethical
Some years back there was a problem at one of the military academies. Some of the students were cheating on ...Experiencing Slow Death
The executives at General Motors had had enough. It was 1982. General Motors' Fremont auto assembly plant was in crisis. The plant ...Can a Story Transform a Company?
At first, it felt like a homecoming. It was 1989. Sony had just purchased Columbia Picture and hired Peter Guber as ...Bill Clinton is on the Phone
"Hello, Peter, this is Bill." Presidential candidate Bill Clinton was calling Peter Guber, CEO of Sony Pictures. It was early 1992. Bill ...Monkey S***
One day early in his career, Peter Guber, the young studio head at Columbia Pictures, was talking with Jack Warner, ...Every Night is Opening Night
It was opening night. There was a line out the door of the restaurant as people clamored to get inside. The ...There’s an Adventure in that Taco…
One night, Hollywood mogul Peter Guber stopped by the Border Grill in Los Angeles. What happened next surprised him. First, he took ...How to get Jack Nicholson to say Yes
Academy Award winning producer Peter Guber was convinced Jack Nicholson was perfect to play the Joker in the original Batman ...“I’m Going to Take Care of You.”
It's the early 1990s. Dr. Robert Maloney, UCLA professor of ophthalmology, had just done the first LASIK surgery in western ...
Pack for One Night
Imagine for a moment you are an NBA coach. Playing on your home court, your team has just won game five ...The Story of an Icon of an Icon
"I don't do companies that don't have a story because if they don't have a story, they don't have a ...How a Great Story Can Help You Land Your Next Job
What is the #1 reason executive candidates fail to win over prospective employers during job interviews? Lack of preparation. What?!? That came ...What is the Carpe Diem journal?
Creating masterpiece days is how we operationalize our highest goal of flourishing, Brian Johnson shares in his year-long Optimize Mastery ...Why Love, Work, and Energy are the Three Areas on which to Focus
This week we are exploring what it means to be heroic. This is the key learning from Brian Johnson's year-long Optimize ...Our Secret Weapon
What is the one question to ask to help us to turn things around? According to Brian Johnson, this question is ...Arguing with Reality
Yesterday we looked at heroic stamina: Instead of giving in, we get more committed. We embody heroic presence: We show up with intensity. We ...How to be a Hero
When we feel our worst... When things are not going our way... When life seems too much... Instead of giving in..., We get more ...Does our Approach to Hiring Lack Rigor?
Think about last five people you interviewed for a job, Laszlo Bock suggests in his terrific book Work Rules!, about ...Why We are Bad at Interviewing
The first 10 seconds of a job interview predict the outcome. What?!? In his book Work Rules!, longtime Google executive Laszlo Bock ...How to Build a Recruiting Machine
Google's hiring philosophy begins with this simple but powerful insight: the best talent is not looking for a job. The odds ...How to Hire Better
If we want to transform our teams or our organizations, improving our hiring practices is the single best way to ...Should We Invest in Hiring Better or Training?
There are two strategies to assemble phenomenal talent in our organizations writes longtime Google Chief People Operations Officer Laszlo Bock: 1: ...Are We Playing the Wrong Game?
On the side of a bus is a big advertisement emblazoned with the word "Freedom!" It's an ad for a local ...Discovering Our Unique Character Strengths
Yesterday, we explored the idea of human flourishing by living with virtue. Today we are going to take a deeper ...How to Flourish
Turns out ancient wisdom and practical science are more alike than we might realize. Both Aristotle and Martin Seligman, the father of ...Anti-fragile Mindset
"Be proactive" is habit number one of Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Brian Johnson takes it one step ...Turning the Way it is Upside Down
Imagine... the call from the doctor that no one wants. A serious illness. The diagnosis is not promising. Yesterday, we explored the Drama ...Surviving or Thriving?
What is the difference between surviving and thriving? David Emerald, author of The Power of Ted, points out that the default ...The Magic Question
Jim Carrey was struggling. It was 1985. Three years earlier he had made the trek from his home in Canada to ...A Clear Head and a Lighter Heart
A challenge or obstacle appears. We have a choice, writes Mark Samuel and Sophie Chiche in their terrific little book, The Power ...
Beware the Victim Loop
“Between stimulus and response there is a space," writes Nazi Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl. "In that space is our power ...You Had Me at Ahha!
"Close your eyes, I'm going to tell you a story about a foreign country," were the first words out of ...What is a Purposeful Story?
Yesterday we examined the story the adventurer Richard Bangs told the rowdy group to get their attention about the dangers ...There’s No Way Out But Through
Way down in the Grand Canyon, Peter Guber was hosting a five-day river rafting trip for ten friends on the ...If We Tell It, They Will Come
Yesterday, we explored the idea that storytelling is a key driver of business success because it allows us to reach ...Is Storytelling the Secret Sauce to Business Success?
Life is about big moments and this was one of them. Peter Guber had flown to Las Vegas to pitch Oscar ...A Defining Moment of Change
After her father spent eight days at a Sharp HealthCare hospital in San Diego, Sandra Rhodes was profoundly grateful to the ...Can a 30-minute meeting where we read and talk about four stories change how we see our job?
For two groups of lifeguards at a community center in the Midwest, the answer was, a resounding "yes," according to ...Who’s Happier? Managers or their Assistants?
It depends, writes Professor Amy Wrzesniewski of Yale University. It depends on how they see their work. Turns out we have a choice. Do ...Steve Jobs was wrong.
"Follow your passion" is the line most people remember from Steve Jobs famous commencement speech at Stanford University. The research says ...A Business Goal or a Moral One?
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. This week we are exploring the ...Do we expect our team to answer emails after 6 pm?
This week we've been looking at relationships: how the strength of our relationships is the number one driver of happiness ...You Are Not Special.
That's the message too often we get when we interact with most organizations. We feel like a number. Not a ...Why Don’t Relationships Deepen Naturally?
Why do some relationships endure while others crumble? Why does intimacy develop between some partners and not others? This week we are ...How to Build Stronger Relationships
What is it about certain moments that deepen our ties to others and how do we create more of them? Those are ...The Secret to a Happy Life?
“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period,” ...Loyalty to the Absent
Early in his tenure at Google, longtime Chief People Officer Laszlo Bock recounts in his book Work Rules!, he wrote ...What Makes a Best Place to Work
I was having lunch with a friend. "So what does it really mean to be best place to work? He ...That’s Magic.
When Google went public in August of 2004, Google co-founder Sergey Brin wrote a letter in the prospectus for potential investors: "Our ...Treat People like Machines?
In his book, Work Rules! Laszlo Bock, Google's longtime head of People Operations, lists the decisions managers at Google cannot ...High Freedom or Low Freedom?
In his book Work Rules!, Google's Chief People Officer for ten years Laszlo Bock shares information about two Nike t-shirt factories ...
When the Wheels Come Off
This week we've been looking at different ways to self-coach ourselves to be more intentional and more present in our ...The 4 R’s
How can we remember to prime ourselves to be more present throughout our day? Yesterday we looked at one strategy: pay ...Entering and Exiting with Grace
Despite our best efforts to plan and prepare, much of what happens is not in our control. Life comes at us ...The Power to Notice and Choose
Are our days an endless parade of zoom calls, emails, and follow up's? There is a better way, says Dr. Daniel ...Miracle Morning Mindset
We recently looked at what makes great teams great. Great teams are committed. Commitment is created by starting with purpose. Which begins with ...44% of Doctors are Overweight?
That's one of the more surprising facts Shawn Achor shares in his terrific book on positive psychology, The Happiness Advantage. Knowing ...All or Nothing?
“You don’t understand, I want to run a marathon in a month…” said one of Shawn Achor's clients. This week we ...Thinking about Thinking?
During the construction of St. Paul's cathedral in London, British architect Sir Christopher Wren asked three men what they were doing. The first ...Do I consider myself lucky?
Turns out the answer to this question is a tremendous predictor of overall success. Why? This week we've been looking at some ...What is the Tetris Effect?
I love this story... It's the early 1900's and two shoe salesmen are sent to an undeveloped country to assess the ...Where there is Trust…
Our theme this year at PCI is around building TRUST. Let's take a step back and consider... why? Why trust? In service of ...Can We Create Trust by Talking About it?
Yesterday we explored Ichak Adizes' idea around the importance of Mutual Trust and Respect. When lacking, all available organizational energy is ...The Right of the Other Person to Think Differently
The brilliant management thinker Ichak Adizes tells us: "Energy is fixed and predictably allocated." Energy flows internally first. Whatever remains is available ...Being Trustworthy Starts Here
We want people to trust us. Stephen Covey tells us trustworthiness is a factor of character and competence. There is a sure-fire ...Something We Control?
"Trust is the one thing that changes everything," writes Stephen M. R. Covey in his terrific book The Speed of Trust. Our ...Taking the Hit as a Gift
In his book The Way of Aikido, George Leonard shares the story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. George tells us early in ...Owning our World
Before we enter the training mat, we briefly center ourselves. Our feet are firmly connected to the ground. We are aware ...The Meeting of Opposites
When confronted by an attacker, the aikidoist doesn't strike, push back, or dodge. This week we are exploring some of the ...What Does it Mean to be Powerful?
Is being powerful about having power over others? Hold that thought, writes George Leonard's in The Way of Aikido. He defines power as ...Life Lessons from an American Sensei
Samurai Chant: "Expect nothing. Be ready for anything." This week we are going to explore some of the ideas in The ...The Two Types of Questions
More than a decade ago, Dr. Daniel Friedland shares in Leading Well from Within, he and his then four-year old ...The Power of Emergence
This week we are exploring the concept of self-coaching and then teaching others to self-coach themselves - ideas I've been ...Activation required.
Yesterday we looked at what makes a great coach great. A related question: what makes a great team great? According to ...
The One Question that Creates Clarity
So, what makes a great coach great? This week we are looking at the idea of self-coaching and then teaching others ...The Genius Coach
So, what exactly is leadership anyway? Let's agree to skip the boring text book definitions. In one ear, out the other... Not ...Who’s happier? Lottery winners or paraplegics?
The answer is neither, according to the research of Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert. In his popular TED talk, Dan tells us that ...Turning Challenges into… Opportunities?
When faced with adversity, we can: 1. Get stuck (scientific term...) and circle around where we currently are 2. Make it Worse ...Name it to Tame it?
In his book The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor shares the research of Daniel Khaneman that shows us we don't always act ...The Dueling Brain?
One of the key learnings from the Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor's terrific book on positive psychology, involves the dual nature ...The Placebo Effect: Fact or Fiction?
What's more important? What we do each day? Or, how we think about what we do each day? The research is ...No BS
Getting up an hour earlier will change your life, says Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning. That's been my experience. No ...Today Started Last Night?
So far this week we've covered getting up an hour earlier to experience a "Miracle Morning." Terrific. That's step #1. But ...One Hour to Change My Life?
Yesterday we talked about step one to living our new, more intentional life: get up an hour earlier to create ...Get Up An Hour Earlier? Are You Nuts?
For the first twenty-plus years of my adult life, my morning routine revolved around: what is the absolute last possible ...My Best Life?
The numbers aren't great. Obesity is a national epidemic. Rates of depression are at an all-time high. More than 50 percent ...Losing it.
I lost my cool yesterday. True story. Those who know me know that isn't my "go to." Being overtired plus my perception ...How To Have Better Conversations
Yesterday we looked at the benefits of having better conversations. Sounds great. But how do we do that? How can we flip ...Was that a Conversation Worth Having?
"We live in the world our conversations create," writes David Cooperrider, one of the creators of the Appreciative Inquiry framework. So, ...Theory is Fine. Action is Better.
Last week RiseWithDrew addressed a lot of theory. Interesting, powerful, thought-provoking theory! But theory, nonetheless. This week we're looking at putting ...On Being Invisible
Three weeks ago, I had the privilege of spending an hour on a Zoom call with seven African American leaders ...Is our company a machine?
In business and in life, we want things to run smoothly. But, should this be our primary driver? This week we are ...Is Meditation About Achieving Inner Peace?
For years, I heard people I respect admire talk about the power of meditation. Occasionally, I would try it out, ...Show Up or Shut Down?
I'm a goal-setter. I like setting goals. Part of my identity is about setting and achieving goals. I like structure. ...Scary Times = Growth?
When and how do we learn and grow? This week we are looking at some of the lessons from Dr. Daniel ...The Infinite Curriculum?
How does meaningful change actually happen in our lives? I’ve been exploring this question with my coach, Dr. Daniel Friedland, author ...
Want people to trust you? Part 3.
So far this week we've covered two high trust behaviors from Stephen M.R. Covey's powerful book The Speed of Trust: ...Want people to trust you? Part 2.
Of all Steven R. Covey's powerful ideas and frameworks (I am a HUGE Steven Covey fan!!), my absolute favorite is ...Put your phone away. Change your life?
Yesterday we talked about listening first, one of the high trust behaviors outlined in Stephen M.R. Covey's terrific book, The Speed ...Want people to trust you?
We all want high trust relationships. Our lives are so much better when we are surrounded by people who trust ...Chief Happiness Officer?
Each week we are doing a deep dive into a different topic and this week we've been looking at some ...Is Information transformation?
This week we are looking at insights from Shawn Achor's terrific book on positive psychology, The Happiness Advantage. Key takeaway: Happiness ...Is the brain like a muscle?
So far this week, we've learned a couple of key lessons from Shawn Achor's The Happiness Advantage. First, happiness is ...Be positive… Live longer?!?
Yesterday, we covered the main idea from Shawn Achor's The Happiness Advantage: that being happy is an indispensable ingredient of ...Be successful. Then, be happy?
This week we are going to be looking at some of the insights from The Happiness Advantage written by Shawn Achor. Each ...Character + Competence
One of the central ideas of Stephen M. L. Covey's book The Speed of Trust is that to build trust, ...100 / 0
In Darren Hardy's terrific book The Compound Effect, he shares a story about a time when as a young man ...This is water…
The late great David Foster Wallace shared a story of two young fish who were swimming along who happen to ...Got trust?
In Stephen Covey's book The Speed of Trust, he recounts something a client once told him: "Look Stephen, you need ...Trust: the ONE thing that Changes Everything
This week we are going to be looking at some of the key lessons from Stephen M. R. Covey's wonderful book The ...Response-ability
It's the end of week one of #LeadWithDrew. Each week my plan is to do a deep dive into a ...WOOP!
Aristotle tells us that to flourish as human beings we need targets. We need goals. This week we're reviewing some of ...Win or…?
Are we approaching life with zest or avoiding it? Is our real goal hoping to avoid challenge and failure? Put ...Fall 7… Rise 8
Yesterday, we talked about Rule #1 from Brian Johnson's Optimize Program: Expect challenges. Brian tells us that when life knocks ...Rule #1: Expect Challenges
Rule #1: Expect Challenges At the start of the year, I signed up for Brian Johnson's year-long Optimize Mastery online course and I ...