Standards vs. Rules

This year at the Chick-fil-A LeaderCast, Coach Krzyzewski from Duke University made a presentation about his approach to leading some of the world’s best athletes – the US Olympic Team. If you don’t know about Coach “K,” he has more wins than any coach in Division 1 college basketball history.

Can You Draw Me A Picture?

If the research is correct, we learn as much as 70% of what we know from what we see. That’s why one of the most powerful skills a leader can develop is the ability to make your ideas visible. Countless times, it’s been a picture, not the words I spoke that enabled me to effectively communicate an idea or concept.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Are you a good listener? My fear is that most leaders, including myself, think we are. However, the truth may be far different. I believe without constant effort a leader’s natural tendency is to not listen – or at least not listen well.

One-Page Bias

How do you like for people to communicate with you? Have you ever thought about it? After some brief reflection, it was clear to me: I have a one-page bias. I receive information best when it has been distilled down to its essence. Here’s something else I’ve discovered over the years: a lot of other people share this same bias.

Teaching to Change Lives - Howard Hendricks Remembered

One of my dearest friends and mentors died last week. Howard Hendricks was 88 years old. He was someone who understood the law of multiplication. During his career of more than 60 years at Dallas Theological Seminary, he taught and mentored thousands of men and women. I had the wonderful privilege of being one of them.

The First 7 Minutes

Last week, I wrote about the importance of the First 7 Seconds of a presentation. I stand by that idea – first impressions are formed quickly, and they can set the tone for all that follows. However, if the first 7 seconds are critical to earn a hearing, the first 7 minutes may determine if your message makes a difference.

The First 7 Seconds

Many years ago, I read a book, You Are the Message by Roger Ailes, that was extremely helpful to me as a communicator. Although originally published in 1989, it is still in print. Of all the many useful concepts Ailes presents, none is more important than "the first 7 seconds."

7 Ways to Move People to Action

One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is that the best leaders know how to close the sale – they are able to move people to action. It seems like the “action” is almost always preceded by a call to action. How good are you at this critical part of leadership?

The First Step in Creating a Great Presentation

How many presentations have you heard in your life and afterwards your first response was, “What was that about?” I’m guessing you’ve had this experience too many times to count. How does this happen? Didn’t the presenter prepare? Most often, the answer is yes – he or she did prepare. However, they missed what I believe is the most important question any communicator should ask and answer BEFORE they begin creating the talk, “What is the target?”

5 Important Questions to Ask BEFORE You Speak

As leaders, you and I often have the opportunity to speak in public settings. These may be large events or small – formal or informal, internal audiences or external. Regardless of the context, I’ve found that the more questions I ask before I speak, the greater the impact I can have. Here are five of my favorites.

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