Editor's note: This is a guest post by BrillianceInc.

You possess a pathetically small sliver of the truth.

People fear you (by nature of your status) and withhold evidence that may challenge your pathetically small sliver of the truth.

Our brains are wired for fear. And fear makes people do stupid things. To bring out the best in others, you must create an environment where people feel safe.

Leadership takes courage. That courage does not swagger but is humble and quietly confident. A courageous leader:

• recognizes her own strengths and weaknesses
• surrounds herself with people who differ
• when confronted with evidence that challenges her truths, says “Tell me more about that.”
• is confident they will get there without knowing exactly how
• sets a compelling vision and let’s others figure out the best way to do it
• listens intently
• describes reality neutrally, without accusation

You are contagious: your mood, your work-life habits, your tone, your management style–all of it embeds itself in others and helps create a culture

You cannot do your job optimally without a strong, healthy body and mind. To that end, find support to help you:

• stay fit physically
• optimize your brain
• manage your emotions and physical reactions
• strengthen your immune system
• sleep well

There is a point in your rise as a leader (e.g. from Manager/Director to Manager of Managers/VP), where everything that has worked for you will now work against you. Recognize when you cross this threshold and get a coach to help you learn new tricks and embed new habits.

Earn people’s trust; your agenda will eventually fail if people don’t trust you.

Leadership is lonely–more so the higher you go up the org chart. See that you have support from a coach, your family, friends, other leaders.

People are unique. What motivates one may demotivate another. Learn what makes people tick and tailor your praise, communication, and support, accordingly.

IQ has gotten you as far as it can take you. Your success hinges on how well you inspire trust, engagement, and action.

Repeat these useful phrases until they slip out habitually:

• “What support do you need from me?”
• “What could I do better?”
• “What ideas do you have?”
• “What else?”
• “I appreciate ____ , thank you.” (fill in the blank with something that they care about and that you believe).
• “Go home and rest. Come back to it when you are fresh.”
• “No need to point fingers. We’re in this together. Let’s figure it out.”
• “I don’t know.”
• “I was wrong.”

photo credit: Hamed Saber

Read the official press release here.

As a first major step in Project Green Dragon, The Henderson Group will introduce customized curriculum and additional discounts for training services such as “Art of Presentation” that are specifically aimed at innovators in the green technology, clean energy, and sustainability sectors.

The first green-oriented training session will be “Complete Communicator”, an intense, highly individualized, skills development program that will be held in San Francisco on Sept 30 – Oct. 1, 2010 and again, Dec. 2 – 3, 2010.

The Art of Presentation workshop will be held in SF on Oct. 7 – 8, 2010.

Please join us in our new initiative on Facebook for updates on Clean Energy, Alternative Energy, and Sustainability companies.

dilbert.com

Public Speaking and the Value of Freaking Out >>

The Fear Factor>>

by Terry Gault

This article from NPR's website makes the point that abstract communication is FAR less effective than concrete communication.

"Concrete and abstract words activate different parts of the cerebral cortex. Concrete words like hammer, hit and hard are processed more by areas at the back of the brain that handle visual and spatial information. Abstract words like justice, fairly andrender activate the frontal lobes, which process information independent of any particular sense (vision, hearing, touch)." 

How do you ensure that your communications are concrete?  Use stories, images and visual metaphors to illustrate your points.

 Subscribe here >>

photo credit: cellular immunity

 by Terry Gault

This piece from FastCompany magazine highlights a practice we've been using since our inception: videotaping our clients.

Whether you are being coached on your listening, presentation, or dialogue/questioning skills, being able to see and hear exactly how you come across and to hear precisely what you did and did not say, is critical. The use of video often results in some of the most powerful feedback you will ever receive on your communication style.

So, take the advice of Dan Heath and Chip Heath in this piece titled, Watch the Game Film.

Check out what we're doing on Facebook  LinkedIn and Yelp, and don't forget to subscribe.

photo credit: Joi

by Terry Gault

To sum up this article:
"When you want something from someone, ask yourself what story that person is trying to tell about himself (or herself), and then make sure that your role and actions are enhancing that story in the right way." 

This is helpful thinking when crafting presentations intended to motivate the audience to take action.  See this fascinating article below, by Peter Bregman.

I was walking back to our apartment in Manhattan, the hood of my jacket pulled tight to keep the rain out, when I saw an older man with a walker struggle to descend the slippery stairs of his building. When he almost fell, I and several others went over to help.

There was an Access-A-Ride van (a Metropolitan Transit Authority vehicle for people with disabilities) waiting for him. The driver was inside, warm and dry, as he watched us straining to help his passenger cross the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

Then he opened the window and yelled over the sound of the rain coming down, "He might not be able to make it today."

"Hold on," we yelled (there were five of us now) as we helped the man move around the back of the van, "he can make it."

Traffic on 84th street had stopped. We caught the man from falling a few times, hoisted him back up, and finally got him to the van door, which the driver then opened from the inside to reveal a set of stairs. The man with the walker would never make it.

"What about your side door, the one with the electric lift?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," the driver answered, "hold on." He put his coat over his head, came out in the rain with the rest of us, and operated the lift.

Once the man with the walker was in safely, we all began to move away when the driver opened the window one more time and yelled, "Thanks for your help."

So, here's my question: Why will five strangers volunteer to help a man they don't know in the pouring rain — and think about the electric lift themselves — while the paid driver sat inside and waited?

Perhaps the driver is simply a jerk? Perhaps. But I don't think so. Once we suggested the lift, he didn't resist or complain, he came outside and did it immediately. And he wasn't obnoxious either. When he thanked us for our help, he seemed sincere.

Maybe it's because the driver is not permitted to leave the vehicle? I checked the MTA website to see if there was policy against drivers assisting passengers. On the contrary, it states "As long as the driver doesn't lose sight of the vehicle and is not more than 100 feet away from it, the driver can assist you to and from the vehicle, help you up or down the curb or one step and assist you in boarding the vehicle."

So why didn't the driver help? Part of the answer is probably that for him, an old man struggling with a walker isn't a one-time thing, it's every day every stop, and the sight doesn't compel him to act.

But that answer isn't good enough. After all, it's his job to help. That's when it suddenly hit me: The reason the driver didn't help might be precisely because he was paid to.

Dan Ariely, a professor at Duke University, and James Heyman, a professor at the University of St. Thomas, explored this idea. They set up a computer with a circle on the left side of the screen and a square on the right side, and asked participants to use the mouse to drag the circle into the square. Once they did, a new circle appeared on the left. The task was to drag as many circles as they could within five minutes.

Some participants received five dollars, some fifty cents, and some were asked to do it as a favor. How hard did each group work? The five dollar group dragged, on average, 159 circles. The fifty cents group dragged 101 circles. And the group that was paid nothing but asked to do it as a favor? They dragged 168 circles.

Another example: The AARP asked some lawyers if they would reduce their fee to $30 an hour to help needy retirees. The lawyers' answer was no. Then AARP had a counterintuitive brainstorm: they asked the lawyers if they would do it for free. The answer was overwhelmingly yes.

Because when we consider whether to do something, we subconsciously ask ourselves a simple question: "Am I the kind of person who . . ?" And money changes the question. When the lawyers were offered $30 an hour their question was "Am I the kind of person who works for $30 an hour?" The answer was clearly no. But when they were asked to do it as a favor? Their new question was "Am I the kind of person who helps people in need?" And then their answer was yes.

So what does this mean? Should we stop paying people? That wouldn't work for most people. No, we need to pay people a fair amount, so they don't say to themselves, "I'm not getting paid enough to . . ."

Then we need to tap into their deeper motivation. Ask them: Why are you doing this work? What moves you about it? What gives you the satisfaction of a job well done? What makes you feel good about yourself?

People tend to think of themselves as stories. When you interact with someone, you're playing a role in her story. And whatever you do, or whatever she does, or whatever you want her to do, needs to fit into that story in some satisfying way.

When you want something from someone, ask yourself what story that person is trying to tell about himself, and then make sure that your role and actions are enhancing that story in the right way.

We can stoke another person's internal motivation not with more money, but by understanding, and supporting, his story. "Hey," the driver's boss could say, "I know you don't have to get out of the van to help people, but the fact that you do — and in the rain — that's a great thing. And it tells me something about you. And I appreciate it and I know that man with the walker does too." Which reinforces the driver's self-concept — his story — that he's the kind of guy who gets out, in the rain, to help a passenger in need.

Ultimately someone else's internal motivation is, well, her internal issue. But there are things we can do that will either discourage or augment her internal drive. And sometimes it's as simple as what we notice.

It's not lost on me that I too have a story about myself — I'm the kind of guy who stops on a rainy day to help an old disabled man to his van — and that it makes me feel good to tell you about it too. That will make it more likely that I'll do it again in the future.

As we left the scene, I looked at the drivers of the cars who waited so patiently and waved, mouthing the words "thank you" as they passed. Every single one of them smiled back. Wow. New York City drivers smiling after being stuck in traffic for ten minutes? That's right.

"Yeah," they were thinking behind their smiles, "I'm the kind of driver who waits patiently while people less fortunate than me struggle."

 photo credit: robertvega

Subscribe to our blog here >>

by Terry Gault

When one of my clients sent me this video of his speech with Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong organization, I was moved and inspired.  Also, I felt proud.  Proud for whatever small role I had played in Brad's transformation.  Here's the feedback that I gave Brad after watching his video:

• I liked the Minnesota line that he started with.  That was charming and got a nice laugh.
• I did hear some verbal filler – uh, um, you know and so.  How to Shed Verbal Filler
• At one point Brad puts his hands behind his back which looks a bit awkward.
  Using broad gestures gives the impression of power, confidence – comfortable in one's own skin, comfortable taking up space.
• Brad told a compelling story about losing 80 pounds – very impressive.
• I REALLY liked the moment when Brad started teasing Lance Armstrong, calling him short.  It was great that Lance started playing along – standing next to the guy that was shorter than he.  That demonstrated TREMENDOUS confidence and chutzpah and was a memorable moment for the audience.
• Brad tended to only look at one spot in the audience.  Spread around the eye contact – share the love.
• The story about Brad's mom running a marathon 9 months after a bout with cancer was extremely compelling.  He paints her as a model of courage and determination.
• Overall, Brad comes across as very confident, appreciative, humble, admirable and likable.

When I first worked with Brad in Minneapolis in December 2000 (my coldest gig ever), he seemed anxious; not sure what his future had in store.  The Brad Stratton in this video is not only 80 pounds lighter but clearly embodies self-assurance.  Way to go, Brad!  Brad's LinkedIn profile

Subscribe to our blog here >>

I'm going to make a call. In three to five years, a new member of the C-suite will emerge. He or she will work shoulder to shoulder with CMOs and CEOs. The job description will look nothing like we have ever seen. They will be called chief content officer.

 Their purpose will be to originate and share a constant stream of information flowing from inside the four walls of the corporation directly through new digital channels to partners, customers, clients, employees, prospects, and investors. Their skill set will be part journalist, part brand manager, and part public relations professional.

 They will be charged with capturing and articulating the character and voice of the company, and they will be responsible for ushering in a new era of corporate transparency — a world where outsiders can gain a true and authentic view of the company. Filters will be fewer. Responses quicker. Information will flow more freely.

 If the evolving nature of public relations is teaching us anything, it's that content is now the single most important asset at our disposal for conditioning and positioning companies for increased revenue and value. As traditional media struggles to find relevancy, more and more corporations will turn to social and digital media to communicate directly with online audiences.

 Entire new corporate domains will appear, peopled by writers, editors, videographers, podcasters, and technologists, who will work in unison to identify relevant information from inside the corporation, publish it, and then manage the pathways through which it is distributed.

 The chief content officer will stand in the shoes of a traditional publisher, delicately balancing the need for quality content to find and keep audiences against the corporation's drive to sell and promote. The created content will attain a new level of truth and authenticity.

 If a company messes up, the CCO will be charged with the clean up, addressing issues directly online. If a company struggles, that same CCO will be responsible for publishing rapid response investor information to shorten the cycle of pain, not unlike how 24/7 news channels have cut attention spans and focal points.

 And if a company wants to engage, the CCO will be tasked with finding and crystallizing information and content that can catalyze clients and customers, aggregating and engaging them through micro-topics that speak directly to narrow-band niches.

 Some companies like Ford are already starting to break this ground.  Scott Monty, the firm's Head of Social Media, has direct access to CEO Alan Mulally, and works closely with him and other executives to develop social media programs and content, and share information on social networks.

 The CCO job description will read something like this:

If you can write like a journalist, think like a marketer, and understand the vast and shifting seas of digital communications, Mega Global Corporation needs you to express our world view and communicate our value to financial and consumer markets, partners, and governments.

 You must be able to manage a worldwide editorial staff, producing both written and visual communications, and must be able to deliver daily, even hourly, content that is fully optimized to gain visibility over digital pathways.

 This individual will report directly to the CEO, but will have the strength of character to beat back corporate encroachment in favor of honest, accurate content that provides real value to worldwide audiences.

 Most important, this individual must understand how to monetize this content throughout the enterprise, converting incoming interest into business opportunities for the organization as a whole. Compensation: Name your price if you can deliver on the seemingly impossible yet urgent responsibilities described here.

 Some CMOs are taking on many of these duties now. But as our communications channels continue to expand into the digital market, companies need to disseminate content to an increasing array of online audiences. It's becoming a job unto itself. One-way communication is not enough. Companies need to inform, connect, and engage with their customers and partners in meaningful ways, wherever they live.

 Greg Matusky Gregory FCA 20 years ago after working as a freelance writer for Success magazine. As a writer his work appeared in Inc., Forbes, and Newsweek magazines before he transitioned to public relations in 1990.

Subscribe to Speakfearlessly>>

This is hilarious!

How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along?

By now, you must be a nicer, calmer, healthier, happier, more productive version of yourself, right?

If you are falling a bit short of your lofty resolutions, read on and learn how to make self improvement really stick.

The Good News About Self-Improvement

Anyone can change their thoughts, behaviors, and habits. Despite past claims that adult brains were fixed, findings over the last decade reveal that brains constantly adjust to inputs. Neuroplasticity–the brain’s constant adaptation–means that you can teach any (willing) dog new tricks.

The Bad News About Self-Improvement

It’s not as fast or as easy as we might like. In an ideal world, you’d pick something about yourself to improve, do a little homework–read a book, attend a class, or watch a YouTube video–and voila, a new improved you! Unfortunately it’s not that easy.  When faced with challenges that conspire to take us off track, we may give in to inertia and settle for the latest version of ourselves. A little crack appears in our soul, patched with guilt and excuses.

HOW IT WORKS

Real Tools for Change
Deeply felt, lasting change happens over time. Below are some phases of change and corresponding tools to help you upgrade the software running on your grey-matter platform.  All these tools are instantly available simply by setting an intention to use them.

Five phases to making self-improvement stick:

1.       Discovery and Intake
2.       Design
3.       Launch Beta Version of You
4.       Test for Quality
5.       Launch Upgrade Version of You

1. Discovery and Intake Phase:

Purpose: Gather data to form an inclusive assessment of your current state including features, strengths, user-experience, and bugs.

Critical Tools Include:

Observation and Questions: Bring curiosity and leave judgment behind as you ask open-ended questions of yourself and others over a period of several days or weeks. Here are some possible questions:

What is the trajectory of my relationships, career, health, happiness?

How do I spend my time?

What angst inducing thoughts do I notice?

What behaviors are inspired by the angst ridden thoughts?

What are my strengths?

What threatens to derail me?

What do you need most from me?

To what degree are you getting it on a scale of 1-5?

If I could improve one thing, what would it be and how would it look if I were doing it better?

2. Design Phase

Purpose: Create a realistic plan that makes the most of your resource investment.

Critical Tools Include:

Intention: Decide what to change and commit to a plan.

Network of Support: Identify resources that will help you along the way.

Attention: Begin to catch your self in the act of living; be your own third party observer.

Label: Learn to accurately and neutrally label emotions and thoughts that appear, increasing your opportunity to manage them rather than be led by them.

3. Launch Beta Version of You

Purpose: Prototype new thoughts and behaviors and gather input (from self and others) to fine-tune.

Critical Tools Include:

Tell Others What You Are Working On: We urge reluctant clients to include this step as it may be the biggest predictor of success. Despite feeling like you’re making obvious, earth-moving changes, such as interrupting less or speaking up more, your colleagues are unlikely to notice. Or, if they do sense something different, may attribute it to a new haircut, or something they ate for lunch.

People are busy and they inhabit a different brain-world than yours. Big actions to you will seem minuscule to them. When you draw their attention to your positive actions, two things happen: they actually notice and they feel a sense of ownership in your development.  Skip this step and risk wasting your energy.

Practice new thoughts and behaviors relentlessly: Practice for (at least) 21 Days. If you feel awkward, it’s working. New behaviors-like driving on the opposite side of the road– feel funky until we lay down the neural pathways for them. Even crossing our arms in an unfamiliar way feels foreign because we don’t have the neural pathways to match the movement. Learn to live with being awkward for a while and fight against falling into old patterns.

Learn to Recast Your Thoughts: Continue to observe yourself, labeling thoughts and emotions. Studies show that we have about 2 seconds to reappraise an interpretation. Becoming skillful at observing yourself will help you catch that window. When you detect an old, unwanted thought, find a way to change your initial interpretation and release the perceived threat response in your brain. This frees up your thinking brain (prefrontal cortex) to intervene with a more desirable action. Note: this will require you to accept that your first impression is never THE ONE TRUTH.

Example of a recast thought:

Angst-inducing thought: “She’s giving me a look. I wonder what I did wrong. I better defend myself.”

Notice the thought and then choose one of a bajillion less angst ridden and different ways of interpreting the action, like…

Recast thought: “I wonder what that look means. Maybe it’s gas. I think I’ll just wait for more information before I jump to conclusions and regret my response.”

Inhale, exhale, wait, ask clarifying question in a neutral tone…

Work on the Body: Labeling and recasting thoughts is not enough to make changes stick. Your current way of being is stored deep in your body. Doubt this? Next time you get triggered, notice what happens to your physical self. What happens to your breath, your jaw, your forehead, eyes, shoulders? For self-improvement to stick, body, thoughts, and behaviors must be attuned. There are many ways to release unwanted patterns in the body including: sitting-practice, yoga, dance, singing, breathing  exercises or practicing a new stance. When in doubt, get counsel from a certified coach with somatic knowledge to help you design a practice.

4. Test for Quality

Purpose: Ensure that the program is producing the planned results.  Make adjustments.

Critical Tools Include:

Observation: What new behaviors are you noticing in yourself? What new behaviors and reactions are you noticing in others as they relate to you?

Ask others how they perceive you: The least uncomfortable and most productive way to do this is to ask them in writing, on a scale of -5 to +5. Ask each person about only one topic and ask what it would be like if you were doing it better. Then thank them and make the changes.

5. Launch Upgraded Version of You

Purpose: Experience a new improved way of being in the world and watch what happens.

Critical Tools Include:

Awareness: By now you have the ability to observe yourself objectively as the director of the play that is your life.  Continue to practice and develop this skill to improve your way of being.

Gratitude: Savor your new way of being. Feel deep thanks for yourself and those who support you, and for the new pleasures, freedoms, and connections open to you.

Patience: You will not behave perfectly. Bring humility and compassion to yourself and others.

Sense of Humor: Try lightening up. Take yourself less seriously and others less personally.

We’re all in the Midst of Mastering Something
Our brains are constantly reacting to stimuli: every minute we gradually shape our brains, paving new roads or digging up old ones. Through repeated attention, thoughts, and actions, we create new neural pathways and the foundation for mastery. You can’t help but do it. So the question is, What are you mastering? And the second question is: How do you feel about it? And finally, What are you going to do about it? For those unsure, we offer a list of possibilities. Choose wisely.

Anger, Cheer, Chocolate, Dodging Conflict, Deep Connections with People, Deep Connections with Self, Ease, Eating Poorly, Eating Well, Envy, Fear, Freedom, Good Health. Gratitude, Guilt, Guitar, Integration, Love, Online Gaming, Pity, Regret, Resentment, Reverence, Sadness, Strength, Stress, Trust, Volatility, Wholeness, xxoo, Zzzzzzz

http://brillianceinc.com/