Smiling Meditation
Becoming More Positive I have been giving a lot of thought to how we train or re-train our minds to help us become more positive. One thing we can do is to take advantage of our own biochemical natures. The “Smiling Approach,” outlined below, uses a quick fix technique I have done for years, and then adds
Leadership: Fire-Spotting vs. Firefighting
I live in beautiful - dry, drought-ridden, fire-scary - Southern California, where a terrifying "Fire Season" is as real to us as as Tornado or Hurricane Season is in many other places. We are very aware of, and thankful for our fabulous firefighters. And, so many, many times we hear how a tiny spark becomes
Switch Your Brain
Breaking A Negative Mental Loop: A Tale of Two Horses Did you ever get into one of those "loops" of thought - where you keep playing the same thing over and over in your mind, like a bad song? You keep having the same mental conversation, usually negative, or seeing the same negative or fearful mental
7 Tips to Improve Your Handshake
Interviewers clearly want people who have the right skills and credentials. However, in this market, lots of folks have both. So how do you differentiate yourself? Your positive, confident, personal presence – your charisma – can be the deciding factor that gets you the job you want. And some of that charisma is carried in
The Problem of the Second-In-Command: Why Successors Fail
I get a call. The person says, "So-and-so has been promoted to CEO. They need help becoming [more charismatic, softer, more results-oriented, more strategic] like their predecessor was." Trouble is, they're doing exactly what made them successful in the first place.
Wolf Pit to Wolf Trap: Powerful Women Top Out
There is an all-too common reason powerful women get plateaued in their careers. They rely on a default behavior set that worked extremely well to help them find success early on in their careers - but can end up working against them in senior positions. I call it "Wolf Pit to Wolf Trap."
Why Charm Isn’t All It’s Cut Out To Be
When we are in new situations, or meeting new people, we often "default" to behaviors or personal traits that have made us feel comfortable in the past. The trouble is, even if those are good traits, they may be the wrong thing at the wrong time.
You’ve Changed But They Don’t Notice?
Have you ever trimmed your hair and most people don't notice? Even worse, you've made significant behavioral changes, and it seems like no one cares or acknowledges them. The same is true for almost all changes. We think the changes we make are momentous, or at least obvious to everyone. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, others
What’s Up With That Necktie?
Every job, every corporation has a “culture.” It has a set of values, behaviors, and rules about what is considered right and wrong – including appearance - and you go against these rules at your peril. Most of the time, people absorb or miss these rules by accident. By spending the time to
Practice Your Bearing
Below are some brief exercises to help you develop better practices around your Leadership Bearing.
