Communication
Let us all praise the quiet leader
There is one advantage that quiet people have over those of us who like to hear the sounds of our own voices. They are...
Communication
Communication
2 powerful words
“What helps people, helps business.” —Leo Burnett Last week, I got a much-needed haircut. I went to see Rodger, who has been cutting my...
Communication
Slowing down to speed up: Leadership communication in a crisis
When Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, Rod West had to tell the truth and tell it fast. As Entergy’s operational executive he was on...
Communication
How effective communication can improve your team’s health
Internal communication has a lot in common with healthy living. Everybody knows the benefits, but people still disregard their importance. Suppose a company announces...
Communication
Lessons from a pancake house
I love eating breakfast at The Original Pancake House down the street from my house. It has great food and great service. I feel...
Communication
Consensus is not a dirty word
Each month, When Growth Stalls examines why businesses and brands struggle and how they can overcome their obstacles and resume growth. Steve McKee is...
Communication
Do you foster a culture of encouragement?
I recently had the opportunity to watch one of my favorite college basketball teams win their quarterfinal contest in the NIT. What was so...
Communication
From communication mistakes to communication mastery
Even though communication is often referred to as “soft skills” a more appropriate term is critical skills. If you look at any workplace issue,...
Communication
The one thing you must do to be successful when you speak
When you want your message to be heard, making it relevant is the key to getting your listeners’ attention. That’s because the on-demand world...
Communication
8 ways to become a more genuine and authentic person
Genuine people live true to themselves. Researchers Michael Kernis and Brian Goldman define authenticity as “The unimpeded operation of one’s true or core self...
Communication
Why companies apologize (and how to be ready to do it)
Credit: Pixabay The last thing any company wants is to need to send an apology email. It undermines the company’s brand credibility, and it’s...
Communication
Why mentally tough leaders need emotional intelligence
Most of the FBI agents I worked alongside would never utter the phrase emotional intelligence, much less attribute their success to it. While they...
Communication
3 ways to rebuild trust
Building trust is a foundational skill of successful leadership. Wherever you see lack of initiative, low morale, or no engagement, ask yourself if the...
Communication
Don’t just listen to, listen through
Each month, When Growth Stalls examines why businesses and brands struggle and how they can overcome their obstacles and resume growth. Steve McKee is...
Communication
The importance of building trust
“The glue that holds all relationships together — including the relationship between the leader and the led — is trust, and trust is based...
Communication
Negotiation 101 for senior leaders: How to structure an effective argument
The most effective negotiators know that the experience is like effective leadership: it’s about co-operation, not coercion.
Communication
Put down the fire hose: Is your audience drowning in information?
When you step up to speak, you hope what you have to say makes an impact on your audience, right? That goal can sometimes...
Communication
How to effectively lead virtual teams
One of my clients once had a cardboard cutout of himself made to “sit” with his team. Why on Earth would he do this?...
Communication
When is a presentation not a presentation? When it is a PowerPoint
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “presentation?” If you’re like many business leaders, it’s probably “PowerPoint.” The...
Communication
Learn the invaluable trick great leaders use to manage difficult conversations
Difficult conversations are unavoidable, but it's sometimes tough to know where to begin.
Communication
These are the rules of smart presentations
This post is adapted from “The Big Fish Experience” (January 2016, McGraw-Hill Education), which details the Big Fish Presentations creative process. Kenny Nguyen, one...
Communication
Being right isn’t always the goal
“The more we can get together and talk about various perspectives, feelings, beliefs, the better.” ~ William P. Leahy In his book “The Seven...
Communication
The social psychology behind ignored climate change warnings and recommendations for business leaders
Water surges over the seawalls of lower Manhattan, businesses are inundated with up to 4 feet of water, and the subway tunnels coursing under...
Communication
Creative talks any presenter can learn from
When thinking of ways to blow your audience away, make sure you can actually execute your ideas. Practice everything in real-time to ensure success...
Communication
Vocal delivery: Take command of your voice (part 2)
In the first part of our series on vocal delivery, we introduced the basic components of vocal expression (power, pace, pitch and pause) and...
Communication
Let’s face it. Soft skills are hard
When will we stop giving short shrift to “soft” skills? We’ve all seen it. We attend conferences, and load up with sessions on technical,...
Communication
The art of asking effective questions
A wise man said there are three kinds of questions: Ones that show how smart you are, ones that show how dumb they are,...
Communication
Vocal delivery: Take command of your voice (part 1)
How do strong vocal delivery skills enhance your presentation? A voice that is both easy to hear and pleasing to listen to immediately grabs...
Communication
3 essential traits for leaders in confronting conflict
How do you solve conflicts that get in the way of success? You need to acknowledge them! Name the elephant in the room.
Communication
How open communication can overcome the challenge of the unknown
Earlier this year, Deepwater Wind did something no other wind energy company has done in the U.S. It began construction on an offshore wind...
Communication
3 ways to be a more humble leader
Everyone thinks the strongest business leaders are bold and commanding, but that’s not always the case. Plenty of studies have concluded that humility produces the best leaders because...
Communication
How to get an irrational person to listen to reason
The first thing you need to do to get an irrational person to behave rationally is to calm yourself down so that you don’t...
Communication
4 foolproof steps to developing presentation content
The cure for presentation writer’s block When the pressure is on to deliver a mission-critical presentation, even the most experienced presenters sometimes feel overwhelmed...
Communication
Don’t take ourselves too seriously
When was the last time you observed a human on the verge of a meltdown at work? Or in the middle of a meltdown?...
Communication
9 steps to a perfect apology
It’s bound to happen sometime. You offend a team member. You drop the ball at a critical time. You forget about an important meeting...
Communication
Breaking up is hard to do: 6 PowerPoint habits to break (part 2)
Poor use of PowerPoint is such a common bad habit that it’s almost become the norm in the corporate world. Yet it’s not such...
Communication
Breaking up Is hard to do: 6 PowerPoint habits to break (part 1)
It’s easy for all of us to develop bad habits, whether drinking too much coffee or always running late, but it can be much...
Communication
Introverted and extroverted leaders: Bring on the battles
Liz and Ricky are two best work buddies at an industrial supply company in the Midwest. But it wasn’t always like that. Early on...
Communication
Only the sharks survive? The risks of confrontation
The show “Shark Tank,” like much of the media, perpetuates the myth that you have to be aggressive, assertive, even confrontational to advance your...
Communication
Enhancing your executive edge
Why do some people get ahead and others do not? That’s the thought-provoking question addressed by authors Kim Zoller and Kerry Preston in the...
Communication
Make sure employees are comfortable with you
In the midst of our intense discussion, Dom, a vice president at a financial management firm, told me, “I don’t need great rapport, I...
Communication
3 ways to reduce risk of managerial failure
It’s remarkable to see huge companies go up in flames due to managerial failure. And yet it happens regularly. Why? Frequently, the cause of...