The One Job Interview Skill In Short Supply, According To Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe
Mike Rowe, the television personality best known for hosting Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch, recently called attention to a serious problem facing blue-collar and white-collar job candidates: the decline in soft skills. When Fox News...
The Founders Of Apple And Airbnb Combined These 2 Skills To Make Magic
I recently spoke to two highly-compensated software engineers in Silicon Valley who do not have as much coding experience as many of their peers. Yet, they’ve landed jobs and have received promotions over their more experienced counterparts. In both cases...
Learn From Omega And Celebrate The One Thing That Makes You Or Your Product Different From The Rest
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon. Nineteen minutes later, Buzz Aldrin joined him. Aldrin was wearing an Omega Speedmaster wristwatch. Since then, the watch has been known simply as the Moonwatch.
Transformational Leaders Like Malala Find Inspiration In Hero Stories
Humanitarian Malala Yousafzai spent her 20th birthday this week in a refugee camp in Iraq to advocate for girls' education. Hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled their homes in Iraq are children--mostly girls--who are not attending school. This is the way a...
Like The Omega Moonwatch, Find The One Thing That Differentiates Your Product
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon. Nineteen minutes later, Buzz Aldrin joined him. Aldrin was wearing an Omega Speedmaster wristwatch. Since then, the watch has been known simply as the Moonwatch.
5 Books That Prove This Is The Best Time In Human History Ever
Economists, authors and experts say this is the best time in the history of humanity to be alive and to start a business. According to many metrics of health and well-being, 2017 is the best year to be alive in the history of humanity. Spend some time on social media...
Steve Jobs’s Original iPhone Keynote Is Still the Best Product Launch of All Time
5 Reasons Why Steve Jobs's iPhone Keynote had all the elements of a great story. Today the iPhone celebrates its 10th anniversary as one of the best-selling products of all time. As a communication specialist, I mark the event for a slightly different reason. The...
Inspirational Brand Storytelling From Richard Branson and Phil Knight
At Virgin and Nike, stories of the past inspire the innovations of the future. Billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is a big believer in the power of ideas to change the world, and an even bigger believer in the power of storytelling to draw out those ideas....
Thomas Jefferson And Three Keys To Persuasion
Thomas Jefferson would have been comfortable on Twitter. He would have been really good at writing short, provocative tweets that make people think differently.
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is the most persuasive document in American history. Its creation contains valuable lessons for any leader who wants to sell ideas more effectively.
Alan Alda Explains The ‘Ice-Water Experiment’ And How Messages Stick
Alan Alda is a seven-time Emmy Award winner best known for playing Hawkeye Pierce in the classic television show, M*A*S*H. Alda’s interest in science led him to host the award-winning PBS series Scientific American Frontiers. Eleven years of interviewing scientists on the program convinced Alda that people with the best ideas are often terrible communicators.
Whole Foods Founder Never Set Out To Start A “Normal” Company
This Forgotten Whole Foods Story Offers 1 Valuable Lesson For All Entrepreneurs Lost among the media coverage of Amazon's $13.4 billion purchase of Whole Foods is the fact that the organic grocery chain barely survived its first year in business. How it recovered is a...
How Mark Zuckerberg Effectively Communicates Facebook’s New 5-Word Mission Statement
Facebook is a service that connects friends, families and groups. At least, that’s the way founder Mark Zuckerberg promoted the platform for its first ten years. Today he’s creating a new vision to guide the company for the next ten years. And he’s using an effective leadership method to do it.
The 1 Skill That Movie Mogul Peter Guber Learned After A Failed Pitch
A failed business pitch taught movie mogul Peter Guber to start telling purposeful stories. Golden State Warriors co-owner Peter Guber had a lot to celebrate earlier this week as he joined the players on stage in front of adoring fans at Oakland's Oracle Arena. The...
Learning To Sell Your Idea In 10 Minutes Is A Valuable Career Skill
Recently, I visited an elite class of military officers who will spend the next thirteen months training on the most sensitive—and challenging—national security issues of our time. One of my books on communication skills is required reading in the class because crafting and delivering a compelling presentation is a key skill they’ll have to learn. In fact, they learn to sell their ideas in ten minutes or less.
Why Creating A Culture Of Fearless Feedback Is A Good Thing
Create a culture where people have strong opinions and are encouraged to speak up. In the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, Apple CEO Tim Cook is quoted as saying, "If you don't feel comfortable disagreeing, then you will never survive." Recalling his former...
Unveil New Products the Apple Way
Apple unveils HomePod using a traditional and effective presentation formula. Steve Jobs was one of the greatest business storytellers of our time. Apple executives clearly agree and do their best to adopt his presentation style. Apple's HomePod is the company's new...
Mark Zuckerberg Followed This Rule to Make His Presentation Memorable
The presentation rule that makes content easy to follow and remember. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's speech at Harvard's 366th commencement ceremony has made news for several reasons. First, he gave the speech after receiving an honorary degree from the school...
Learn This Important Presentation Tip from Google’s CEO
Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently announced at the company’s 2017 developers conference that Google is “rethinking all our products” as it moves from a mobile-first world to an “A.I.-first” one. His presentation also reflected a rethinking of traditional presentation style.
The Cognitive Cure For Stage Fright, According To Neuroscience
A world famous pastor who speaks to sold out stadiums once admitted to me that in his first year as a minister, his hands would shake as he approached the lectern. His palms would sweat and his heart would race. He had severe stage fright.
JFK’s Sharp Editing Skills Help His Ideas Live On
One hundred years after John F. Kennedy’s birth and 56 years after he delivered one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century, we are still inspired by John F. Kennedy’s words. We remember JFK’s ideas because he was a good editor.
How Sheryl Sandberg’s Personal Story Helped Her Become A Powerful Communicator
A reluctant storyteller at first, Sandberg now shares personal stories of grief and resilience to inspire audiences. Facebook COO and founder of the Lean In movement Sheryl Sandberg delivered an emotional commencement speech last week to the graduating class of...
Human Communication Skills Power IBM’s Watson Ads
Each and every day IBM’s Watson works alongside business professionals in 45 countries, analyzing volumes of data to make better decisions and to solve big problems. But ask the average person about Watson and they might recognize it as ‘the computer’ that beat two champions of the quiz show Jeopardy!
A Trendy Silicon Valley Buzzword Offers A Valuable Lesson In Effective Communication
According to one analysis, tech company executives have used the word “moat” 89 times in earnings calls and financial presentations over the past year. The trend appears to be tied back to Warren Buffett’s choice of the metaphor as a stock picking analogy. Buffett said he looks for companies that have a strong protection against competitors, “like an economic castle.”
The Best Way to Keep Your Presentations Short and Engaging
TED speakers use a practical method to create short presentations from hundreds of pages of content.
Simplify Complex Ideas the Warren Buffett Way
How the billionaire Warren Buffett uses a classic rhetorical technique to make the complex simple.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains How He ‘Cherry Picks The Cool Stuff’ To Make Science Fun
Neil deGrasse Tyson gets 200 speaking requests a month. He accepts about four. Neil deGrasse Tyson has 7.3 million Twitter followers. Neil deGrasse Tyson is Stephen Colbert’s favorite guest. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s new book is a bestseller on Amazon, and it has...
Overcome this Common Bias and Become a Better Speaker
People who excel at giving presentations or public speaking take specific steps to improve.
The Pope’s TED talk Was a Surprise, His Moving Prose Was Not.
In his surprise TED 2017 presentation, Pope Francis relied on a proven rhetorical technique used by great writers and speakers. The TED conference teased its audience with a "surprise guest" and they lived up to the billing. When Pope Francis took to the TED stage...
College Seniors: 65% Of Recruiters Say This One Skill Is More Important Than Your Major
Sixty-five percent of recruiters and hiring managers say strong written or spoken communication skills is more important in an entry-level job applicant than their college major.
Carmine Gallo storytelling keynote to largest CFO firm in America
Although few business professionals will take the stage at the 2017 international TED conference being held this week in Vancouver, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn a few tips from some of the world’s best speakers. However, do not confuse a TED Talk with a “TED-like” presentation.