No Morphing
Don’t morph into someone you’re not…
Mark holds the Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association (NSA) and is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame. He was recently honored with the Cavett Award, the highest honor the NSA bestows on its members, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the speaking profession. In 2020, Global Gurus named Mark the #5 Leadership Authority in the world.
Magical Service
The National Speakers Association is meeting this weekend at the Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. I have been using the newly opened business center/concierge room. The facilities are nice, but the attitude and demeanor of the staff are exceptional. My first day here I had a concierge named Martha check on dinner reservations for Valentine’s…
Overcompensation
I’m not referring to Wall Street payouts, but to how society tends to respond to problems. Case in point: a laxity of regulation has resulted in a rush to over-regulate. Wall Street, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sounded the alarm and now Washington pours water on a fire already out. The current trend is not…
Positive Discontent
One of my clients is Kiewit (large construction and mining) which is this year celebrating its 125th anniversary. Peter Kiewit, who provided legendary leadership in growing the company, used the phrase “pleased but never satisfied.” I’ve embraced a similar philosophy I call “positive discontent.” Be positive about what you’ve accomplished but don’t become content. Keep…
Michael Phelps and the Principles of Greatness
He made a mistake. He is truly great athlete, and he is fully human. Greatness does not equal perfection. We keep forgetting that. I’m not condoning his actions. The fact is that lots of people his age–and some much older–take a hit off a bong. Most of us would agree that is wrong behavior. I…
Business as Usual in Washington D.C.
I respect President Obama and truly admire his communication skills. I don’t always agree with the content of his remarks. With the debate and resistance over the stimulus plan, the president asked Congress if they weren’t tired of “business as usual” suggesting that coming together on the plan would truly be change. Realize that spending…
Agility in the Age of the Unknown
What do leaders do when they aren’t sure what’s going on? They stay agile.
Questions from Kona
thoughts and questions from the Kona Brewing Company
The Secret Ingredient
It is easy to stand out in an extraordinary way when you work for a less-than-extraordinary organization. But what happens when the place you work has a world class reputation for service? Recently I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Atlanta. My friend Joseph Michelli has written an excellent book called “The New Gold Standard”…
The Whisper
Listen for the whisper that is unique to you.
