Uncomfort Zone
I remember seeing brain coach Jim Kwik “live” for the first time at an intimate gathering up in Los Angeles. I was in awe of Jim’s ability to step into the shoes of his audience and give them what they needed to learn faster and better remember. You see, that’s Jim’s special sauce. He has […]
How To Train Your Algorithm
Got kids? Then you’re like me in what feels like Kidland Cinema purgatory. It’s not all bad. Take for example How To Train Your Dragon, a movie produced by Dreamworks, that was based on a book with the same title 20 years ago. There is a line in the movie that still gets me every […]
Your Why. Your What. Your Wow.
Forbes released an article recently that suggested that most Americans are inundated with somewhere between 4000-10,000 ads every day. Think about how massive that number is! That doesn’t include another everyday obstacle — the fact that you never get a consumer’s undivided attention. If you’re like most, your message isn’t just competing with competition. Your […]
The Petko Bullseye
3 Days. 2 Functions. 1 Purpose. Last week, my team and I had the good fortune of facilitating a brave three day offsite with 175 SpartanNash leaders who came together across two functions. One of the joys of our journey was on Day 2 when four members of their Executive Leadership came together in front […]
Being Brave vs. Being Courageous: The Same or Something Else?
It takes a special kind of person to be able to confront risk and take bold action in the workplace. And perhaps it’s a “Captain Obvious” moment that a guy who has been studying courageous leadership for the last 5 years would murmur the following: Bravery and courage are essential characteristics for corporate success. Even […]
Shift Remote Work to Emote Work
I had a keynote up in LA yesterday addressing a rocket ship team that hasn’t been live for about 1000 days. What else is a thousand days old? Remote Work. At best, most of us have a transactional workplace culture to show for it. If we were to proclaim the losers of remote work, you […]
How Toys “R” Us Beat the Odds of Extinction
Toys “R” Us was once a leading retailer of toys, children’s clothing, and baby products. Founded in 1948 by Charles Lazarus, the Toys “R” Us name made its American debut in 1957. The company started as a baby goods and furniture store called Children’s Bargain Town in Washington, DC. In the subsequent years, Lazarus reinvented […]
Thoughts on Thought Leadership: Mixing “Feel” Leaders and “Do” Leaders with your “Thought” Leaders
Recently, I had the chance to address 30 global all-stars from Deloitte down in Houston. While there isn’t much I’m at liberty to reveal about our session, I will share one story about thought leadership I brought forward at the beginning of our time together. As you can imagine, this was an elite group better […]
How Do You Eat An Elephant?
You know that adage, “How do you eat an elephant?” Do you have time to eat an elephant one bite at a time? I don’t think anyone has ever had enough energy or patience for this task on their own! You’ve got to take your time and bite-by-bite chew up this big old beast before […]
SEE-Membering: People Remember What They See
I have a confession to make. I was back on the road, doing what I do, this week. And boy, it sure felt sweet to be in front of a live and lively audience. Throughout the course of my keynote, I sported 6-8 Courage bracelets. When people spoke up—which can be hard in front of […]