An inscription was carved over the door to the temple of Delphi twenty-four hundred years ago: Know thyself. It’s good advice for living a rich, meaningful life. And it’s a great tip for improving yourself personally and professionally so you can achieve your full potential. Here’s my rule of thumb: To grow yourself, you must…
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” Since we are thinking, Descartes asserted, we must certainly exist. But it is also true: I think better, therefore I become better. Effective thinking is the strong foundation for everything that happens. It’s where dreams and plans begin. Thinking casts a vision and then comes up with a…
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“The illiterate of the 21st Century are not those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Alvin Toffler said that in his book Powershift…in 1991. I believe it is still true today. But how many people intentionally improve their learning skills? In today’s fast-changing environment, there’s really no choice—to…
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Growth is good. Being able to grow in multiple areas of your life is exceptional. Getting better in all four areas of the Potential Matrix—performing, learning, thinking, and reflecting—is a powerful strategy for overall improvement. But you don’t maximize one area unless you’re advancing in the others as well. Combined, all four create a powerful…
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In my new book, The Potential Principle, I lay out a map that will help you reach your potential. I call it the Potential Matrix. This grid identifies four aspects of life that are crucial to your journey toward improvement: the performing quadrant, the learning quadrant, the thinking quadrant, and the reflecting quadrant. Each represents…
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There are many good reasons to keep improving in life, striving to be the best you can be. In my new book, The Potential Principle, I explain why—especially in today’s fast-paced world—it’s vital to keep growing personally and professionally. I also discuss some important things to consider as you choose the areas you want to…
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We all have dreams. You may be just starting your career, stepping into your first real job. You may have just been promoted again, proving you’re really good at what you do. Or you may be the best of the best in your field. You may even have received a “World’s Greatest Dad” or “My…
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I was in the gym yesterday. A guy roughly my age was “working out.” Except he wasn’t. I thought it was a hidden camera show. What he did was so nonsensical, so wrong and so unhelpful as to be laughable if it weren’t for the fact he thought he was exercising. My writing skills aren’t…
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The responsibility of good leadership always outweighs the accolades. Those you lead think of themselves less as followers and more as team players or contributors. Leaders don’t confuse “simple” with “easy.” Something simple to understand can be difficult to do. If you are sincere, you can’t over-appreciate those you lead. Team members want the opportunity…
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I’ve written, spoken and advised about great customer service for years. Not too long ago I had an epiphany: I was emphasizing the wrong thing. Don’t misunderstand. Customer service is important. But it is a tool, not the structure you are trying to build. It is a means to a more important end. What really…
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