3 Reasons Why Innovation Begins With “Creative Confidence”

Words and Letters - Ryan McGuire via Gratisography 419H
Innovation isn’t a mystical process reserved for Silicon Valley visionaries, think tank futurists or teams in white lab coats. Tom and David Kelley’s “Creative Confidence” shows us anyone can discover how to hone and focus their creativity. It just takes learning a few new tricks and debunking some age-old conventional wisdom. The Heart of Innovation If you’ve ever organized a garage, ... Read More

Best of the World of Work — Vol. V

World of Work Q2 2017 - StrengthsLauncher, StrengthsFinder, Doug Wilks
Hello StrengthsLaunchers! Smartphones—the story behind the story, key benefits of employee engagement and how to build resilience. My favorite world of work essays from the past three months… Are Smartphones Making Us Stupid? by Christopher Bergland Guarding the Eye Gate and the Ear Gate. #productivity 7 Excellent Reasons to Focus on Employee Engagement by Gordon Tredgold Higher profits, lower turnover, ... Read More

Ping Pong, Prop Bets & The Performance Zone

Ping Pong, Prop Bets And The Performance Zone - StrengthsLauncher
Mastering the difference between the growth zone and the performance zone is critical to your productivity, development and success. Here’s how one rogue gambler applied his mastery of both zones in one of the craziest prop bets of all time. Dealer’s Choice Bel Air Country Club. Los Angeles, California. 1973. The wager: One game of Ping-Pong. First player to 21. Winner gets ... Read More

Best of the World of Work — Vol. IV

Tom Clancy Writer's Digest 1995 definition of success - StrengthsLauncher
Hello StrengthsLaunchers! Flow, success, entrepreneurship, talent management and how to make weekends more awesome. A few of my favorites reads from the last 90 days. Enjoy… Regardless of what you’re striving to accomplish, if you’re not consistently achieving flow it’s much harder to achieve your goal. Is There a Flow State of Leadership? by Evan Sinar, PhD. – DDI From an ... Read More

Need A Role Model? Try Dabo Swinney

Dab Swinney role model head football coach Clemson University
Dabo Swinney, head coach of the 2016 National Champion Clemson Tigers, overcame multiple life challenges before reaching the heights of coaching success. How did Swinney conquer his circumstances when so many others are defeated by life’s misfortunes? Imagine: Your older brother is injured in a devastating car accident. He spends two weeks in a coma and suffers severe memory loss. The ... Read More

7 Reasons Leaders Are Readers

He never graduated from college, but he claimed to have read every book in his public library in Independence, Missouri. On April 12, 1945, this humble farm boy would be sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States. What did Harry Truman know about leadership we can learn from today? “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders ... Read More

Best of the World of Work — Vol. III

Below are my favorite pieces about business, performance and productivity. Enjoy. Productivity — The Next Web: 7 Mental Models You Should Know For Smarter Decision Making Organizational Behavior — HBR: The More You Energize Coworkers, The Better Everyone Performs Talent — TED/Kare Anderson: Be An Opportunity Maker Employee Engagement — Entrepreneur: When You Hire The Right Managers, Engagement Improves Strategy ... Read More

10 Ways Coach Bruce Gemmell Helps Katie Ledecky Win

While we’re not all Olympic athletes, we can all use a good coach to help us achieve our goals. So, what makes a good coach? How do they help their clients grow, achieve and succeed? A Passion For Coaching It’s often said that great writers don’t want to write, they have to write. Same thing with good coaches. A good coach lives ... Read More