Sequoia’s Michael Moritz And Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson Reveal The Traits of Great Leaders
From England’s Manchester United to the startups of Silicon Valley, success leaves clues and famed venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz has successfully identified many of them. Moritz is one of the most intriguing people I’ve interviewed in years. It shouldn’t come...
Pitch Your Idea With The Star Wars Method of Storytelling
Who or what plays the role of the Galactic Empire in your product narrative? It’s not a silly question. Your choice of a villain may mean the difference between building positive buzz for your product or having it thrown into the trash heap of discarded ideas....
Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs: ‘I’m Attracted to Good Stories’
After a screening of the new movie Steve Jobs in San Francisco, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball) and director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) answered audience questions about their film. The 30-minute Q&A provided a fascinating glimpse into...
Former Pro Athlete Visualizes His Way To Public Speaking Success
Before Michael Phelps swims a lap, or Lindsey Vonn races down a ski slope, or Jason Day hits a golf ball, they visualize a successful outcome. Phelps even pictures himself from two perspectives – from the pool and in the stands. The world’s most successful athletes...
Why You Should Hire People Like Kate Winslet’s Character In ‘Steve Jobs’
Joanna Hoffman was fearless when facing Steve Jobs, and Jobs respected her for it. In the Aaron Sorkin/Danny Boyle movie Steve Jobs, Hoffman is played by actress Kate Winslet. According to Winslet “Joanna very much saw herself as his equal, as a colleague. She wasn’t...
What Apple Store’s Biggest Fan Taught Us About The Customer Experience
Why did Gary Allen log thousands of miles to attend 140 Apple Store openings around the world and blog about them…without getting paid for it? That question prompted me to reach out to Allen when I began the research for my book on the Apple Store model, The Apple...
Steve Jobs: The World’s Greatest Business Storyteller
Tension and struggle, heroes and villains are the stuff of great movies. As it turns out, they are also key to selling one’s ideas. In the new film Steve Jobs, Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin divides the film into three acts with each act taking place...
Pope Francis Goes Off Script And Electrifies His Audience
“Wow.” That’s the first word that came to mind for CNN’s Chris Cuomo after Pope Francis delivered an impromptu speech about the family. On Saturday night, the final evening of his historic visit to America, Pope Francis had spent two hours enjoying music and...
Why Pope Francis Delivers Ideas In Threes
If you watched, listened, or read the transcript to Pope Francis’ speech to Congress on Thursday, you might have noticed a trend: Pope Francis groups ideas into thirds. It’s not a random habit. He does it on purpose. In a response to a question Pope Francis once said,...
Carly Fiorina Speaks Of Struggle And Success With Jimmy Fallon
On Monday night Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina had the chance to introduce herself to millions of viewers of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. A difficult task for business or political leaders is to get their message across clearly, simply, and...
Ten Inspiring Leaders Who Didn’t Let The Naysayers Bring Them Down
A growing body of research suggests that our brains are wired to resist change, to be content with the status quo. “It could be that humans are wired to be natural naysayers,” according to Arvind Kumar, the lead researcher in a study. Kumar says there are...
Shake Shack’s Danny Meyer Reveals The Secret Ingredient Of His Success
There is no Shake Shack without Uncle Richard. On the night before taking the law school entrance exam, 25-year-old Danny Meyer had dinner with his uncle Richard and aunt Virginia at Elio’s, an Italian restaurant on Second Avenue in New York City. “I can’t believe I’m...
The Simplest Way For Anyone To Make A Positive First Impression
I enjoy watching golf tournaments, but at one recent PGA event it’s what happened off the course that caught my attention. While watching coverage of the 2015 Humana Challenge at La Quinta, the Golf Channel cut to a scene of former President Bill Clinton shaking hands...
Stories Triggered The Measles Outbreak, And Storytelling Can Stop It
Olivia was 7 years old when she caught the measles. She seemed to be recovering when the disease took a turn. She felt sleepy. Her fingers and her mind weren’t working together. The measles had triggered encephalitis, an acute inflammation of the brain. “In an hour...
To Raise Courageous Kids, Tell Heroic Stories
Your leadership role doesn’t end when you leave the office. Your kids are looking up to you, too. And how do great leaders inspire the best in others? They spark our imagination with epic stories of heroes and adventure. “Before I was born, when I was in the tummy of...
Why Stories Of Struggle Bring Out The Best In Others
On the sloping hills of Paso Robles, California, sits the L’Aventure vineyard. The grape vines that grow on this steep hillside must fight their way through rocky limestone soil for precious water and nutrients. The wine made from those grapes are bursting with flavor...
Pixar, Oregon Ducks, And How Culture Builds Winning Teams
Two seasons ago I enjoyed my football first experience at Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon. I traveled to Eugene to visit my nephew who was attending the college and to see what all the fuss was about. I should have realized that when every hotel room in...
5 Presentation Tips From CEO Keynotes At CES
Smart gadgets were all the buzz at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Smart drones were flying around the keynote stage, smartphone apps opened smart doors, and smart cars were driving themselves. There were also some very smart business leaders...
How Mario Cuomo’s 1984 Speech Electrified His Audience
Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo who passed away on January 1st was 50 percent responsible for my decision to pursue a career in journalism and communication. Ronald Reagan was responsible for the other 50 percent. Both leaders sparked our collective imagination...
Five Resolutions For More Successful Presentations In 2015
Like it or not, many business professionals are judged on the quality of their presentation skills. I wrote an article earlier this year about a giant tech company that scores its senior managers and leaders on customer-facing presentations. Higher scores translate...
What CEO’s Can Learn From The Pulpit
Before Martin Luther King Jr. galvanized a nation with one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century, he had honed his delivery and storytelling skills through years of experience behind the pulpit as a Baptist minister. He became a pastor at the age of 25 and...
10-Year-Old Fund Manager’s Daughter Offers A Lesson In Persuasion
You can learn a lot from a 10-year-old, especially when it comes to getting what you want. Earlier this year you might have heard the story of former Pimco co-CEO, Mohamed El-Erian, who resigned after his daughter confronted him with a list of events he missed because...
Take The ‘Old School’ Design Out Of PowerPoint
A few months ago I was sitting in the ‘green room’ behind a stage waiting to deliver a keynote speech to an audience of entrepreneurs and business leaders. I couldn't see the person speaking on stage ahead of me, but I heard the audio feed. I began taking notes...
Executive Presence: Gwen Stefani Gives ‘The Voice’ Contestants Great Advice
Pop star Gwen Stefani is a newcomer to the panel of judges on NBC’s hit show, The Voice, but she has spent more than two decades doing what she does best—performing on stage. Stefani joins fellow coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Pharrell Williams who all fight...
One Simple Rule That Makes Apple Presentations ‘Apple-Esque’
Apple CEO Tim Cook received a thunderous round of applause when he brought back a signature catch phrase that Steve Jobs made famous: “One more thing.” The one more thing at the September 9th keynote presentation turned out to be the Apple Watch. Cook may have been...
How Pete Frates Found His Calling And Launched The Ice Bucket Challenge
“Be passionate. Be genuine. Be hardworking, and don’t afraid to be great.” — Pete Frates On March 13, 2012, Pete Frates was sitting at the dinner table with his parents, siblings, and girlfriend and he did what all great leaders do—communicate an inspiring vision. He...
How To Keep Your Creativity Flowing After Vacation Ends
Did you have an epiphany on your vacation this summer? I know I did. I had creative ideas occur on the water in Lake Tahoe and on a hiking trail in San Diego. I've written some of my best articles in a café in Genoa, a beach in Santa Monica, and poolside at a...
Copy Jimmy Fallon’s Interview Technique To Be The Most Likable Person In The Room
When Clint Eastwood appeared on The Tonight Show to promote Jersey Boys, Fallon said, “I love the music. I love the characters. My parents are from Brooklyn and we knew people like this. The way it was shot, the cars, the scenery, it reminded me of my parents’ wedding...
Why Your Culture Problem Is About To Get Much Worse
Recently I talked to a family friend who I hadn't spoken to in a few months. Three months ago she was the top salesperson at her company, contributing millions of dollars to the firm’s bottom line and bringing in a hefty paycheck to show for it. She was also...
How To Sell Yourself In A Twitter Friendly Headline
The title of this article consists of 51 characters. That’s short enough to post on Twitter, include a short comment, and add the link. Columnists like me who are trained in journalism put a lot of thought into the title because it grabs your attention, sets the tone...