More than 20 years ago, I wrote a book called BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about those last three words: Without blowing it. Without monopolizing the conversation. Without exaggerating, embellishing, or lying. Without making everything about you. But braggadocio infiltrated our culture. Bigger and…
I don’t hate the word authentic. I hate that it’s so overused, oversimplified, and reduced to the kind of cliché you’d find needlepointed on a throw pillow: Always be you. Live your truth. Do YOU! These aphorisms may be comforting but they’re also incomplete. They assume that each of us has one fixed personality—one “authentic self”—that we should bring…
I recently wrote about the leadership mess at CBS News—a failure at the top marked by poor communication, a lack of transparency, and a breakdown of trust. But the leadership failure is only half the story. Equally important is how people respond when they are angry. When emotions run high and the stakes feel personal,…
I’ve been following the controversy surrounding the firings and restructuring at CBS News and its flagship news program, 60 Minutes, and found the missteps to be universal. This isn’t really a story about television news. It’s a story about leadership, communication, trust, and what happens when all three begin to unravel. Because the breakdown appears…
I love a good commencement. The grandeur of Pomp and Circumstance. Graduates strutting across the stage, triumphant, relieved and ready to rip off their gowns so the partying can begin. The proud yet worried parents wondering how the hell their kid will get a job in this economy. Commencements are exciting, hopeful, and terrifying all…
Call me old-fashioned, but experience and expertise are not optional when it comes to doing the work. They’re what build your knowledge base, your judgment, and your ability to actually deliver results especially when the stakes are high. And yet, more and more, we’re seeing people skip this part of the equation and convincing others…
A March 31 New York Times article called it “swagger without the sweat.” I’d put it more bluntly: We’ve created a culture where people can BS their way into coveted jobs without doing the work required to earn them. You don’t have to look far—whether in government or the workplace—to see it. Confidence without competence….
Last fall, I found myself asking the same question many of my clients ask: Now what? I was flummoxed. I couldn’t see a clear path forward. Even as I brainstormed and asked others for input, I just kept spinning. Then I asked myself different questions: What is my purpose for being here right now?What do…
It’s no secret that there is a plethora of different communication styles that vary greatly based on age, experience and individual circumstances. Yet recently, in the workplace, I’ve come across a great many professionals who assume their preferred way of communicating is the same as everyone else’s. And, as a result of failing to look…