Most would agree that Louis Pasteur, George Washington and Thomas Edison were “great men.” What makes a business leader, scientist, statesman, inventor, doctor, engineer, or creator deserving of the title of “Great Man” or “Great Woman”? Is it intelligence? There are many with high IQs who waste their genius. Is it character? There are many who have integrity and live virtuous lives but never earn the title of “Great.” Is it wealth? The list of wealthy people who are deemed the opposite of “Great” is very long indeed. Is it fame and applause? Many are famous and yet few are deemed “Great”. So what is the true measure of greatness? Arguably, the true measure of greatness is achievement.

Here’s why. Continue reading →

Every day, we’re all communicating in a mad rush. We write dozens (if not hundreds) of texts, emails, instant messages, posts, Inmail, and more every day. And, too many of these messages have mistakes. Typos. Punctuation. Grammar. Syntax. But, the worst is spelling. Words are misspelled or misused. We write affect when it should be effect. We write were when it should be we’re. We write peak when we mean peek. When we write words incorrectly, at best it says “careless”; at worst, it says “uneducated.” The good news is that it’s easy to review the most common mistakes and learn the right spelling. It’s never too late.

Here’s Your Cheat Sheet. Continue reading →

In business, we write A LOT. We write to deliver a message, but how we write delivers its own message. When we can’t understand a message from a manager, colleague or vendor because it’s long, unclear or is poorly written, it might fail to say what was intended… but it may say a lot about the person. A picture might speak 1,000 words, but, in business, just 100 poorly-written words paints an unattractive picture of who the person is. In business, clear communication matters. Writing doesn’t need to be eloquent, but it should be clear and error-free. And, at the very least, it should avoid the most common mistakes. Do you make any of these common errors?

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Boosting Drive for more Action

Dreams are nice, but they guarantee nothing. They prove nothing. They offer nothing. Dreams are like cotton candy, marshmallows and jelly beans… sweet and delicious. But a steady diet of only that is bad for you. Motivation is also nice. Motivation is like pasta and potatoes… starchy carbs that provide a lot of initial energy but are short-lived. Motivation is fleeting. It delivers a rush of adrenaline and then fizzles out. But drive? Drive is the thing on which others can depend. Drive is like protein. It is the “effort” muscle. Drive delivers action. It is the executive function most responsible for career success. So how do we build up our drive?

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Motivation and Drive – Two Sides of the Same Coin

We commonly say that someone who is determined or assertive is “driven”. Or they might say that person is “motivated”. While these are qualities we recognize and admire in others, is being motivated and driven the same thing? And where does motivation and/or drive come from? Is it innate, like eye color, or something we learn or develop? What happens if you lack motivation or drive? Can it be increased? Most importantly, how much do motivation or drive account for achievement and success? If this is the fuel that drives behavior, what can be done if the tank is on empty?
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Executive functions – such as working memory, self-control, adaptability, flexibility, and planning — help us remember our goals and the steps needed to reach them, resist distractions along the way, and find a Plan B when Plan A doesn’t work out. And, it helps us ensure that a plan is carried out properly. That’s called updating, and it is very important for getting work done. Without these cognitive abilities, we’d be lost. But what happens if a person’s brain is not very good at updating or other of these executive functions? Can this unseen hero of productivity – cognitive updating — be improved? It turns out that all executive functions can be improved, and there are lots of exercises that can help.

Here are some. Continue reading →

The human mind performs many cognitive tasks that control how well we learn, work and manage life. They aren’t part of IQ or EQ. These are “executive functions” like self-control, planning, adapting, viewing things from different perspectives, creating new ideas, storing and retrieving information to perform complex tasks, making decisions, using reasoning or logic to solve problems, and much more. One of the cognitive functions most used by successful people yet least acknowledged is called “updating.” Without updating, no college course is completed, no degree is earned, no project reaches the finish line and no work plan is accomplished. So what is cognitive updating, how does it work and what happens if your brain is not very good at updating? Can this unseen hero of productivity be improved?

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Cognitive Flexibility Boosts Creativity

The terms cognitive adaptability and cognitive flexibility sound synonymous. But while the terms are related, they are not synonymous. Both are important skills for leaders. But to be really successful, leaders need a high level of cognitive flexibility even more than cognitive adaptability. The World Economic Forum referred to cognitive flexibility as one of the top skills needed to succeed in the world today and Fast Company called it an “indispensable skill to future-proof your career.” So how are cognitive adaptability and flexibility different and why is cognitive flexibility such a super power? Even more importantly, is it a skill that can be learned or improved?

Here’s the scoop. Continue reading →

Are you the proverbial Chief Problem Solver in your department, division or company? Do you spend a lot of time solving problems at work and home? Indeed, most jobs require a lot of problem solving ability and that involved fluid intelligence. Certainly any job involving customer service, operations, technology, manufacturing, management, marketing, or sales requires the ability to solve problems. And leadership positions, by definition, consist of constant problem-solving. So can we improve this executive function? The answer is yes. Fluid intelligence, which includes problem solving, is an essential cognitive skill that we all develop and which can be improved over time.

Here’s how. Continue reading →