Facing The Lions

Our inbred fear response is well-known: when confronted with a perceived danger, our mind and body prepare to fight, flee or freeze. A fairly recent discovery is an additional response called fawning – placating or appeasing to neutralize the threat. While we...

What Reality are you Naming?

Leaders establish reality by the way they talk about something. If a firm leader talks about a situation as unimportant, their followers will not take it seriously. If a leader refers to a decision as ill-advised, others will also resent it. If a leader reinforces a...

Protect Your Attention

As we’ve written and said so many times (here, here and here), no one aspires to be mediocre. Everyone wants to do well. So why don’t we? A major reason is we aren’t protecting our attention. Our attention is precious and it’s a huge influence in our...

Weak Link Choices

Most under-performance doesn’t come from lack of intelligence or capability. It comes from choosing what is easy, comfortable, or convenient – small compromises that depreciate into mediocrity. High performers see it immediately. At first they push back. Over...

Spread the Germ

Albert Einstein once said, “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” (And I’m pretty sure it includes women, too.) What a powerful truth – because when life turns up the pressure, it reveals who we really are. Which version of you shows up when in the middle of...