SkillInside

A global pharmaceutical company was about to lose the strategic advantage of several blockbuster drugs coming off patent. In five years, the revenue shortfall would be significant. The senior commercial and scientific directors formed a “circle of leaders” comprised of 23 senior managers who had no meaningful history of collaboration on strategic initiatives. The hope was that the diversity of brainpower and perspectives would yield imaginative ways to outgrow the shortfall. An international media firm that successfully moved from print to internet nonetheless faced new competition from the likes of Google and Buzzfeed. Although its readership was at historic highs, the CEO was determined to double its subscription base over the next five years. So the chiefs of strategy and technology formed a unique circle of peers — 18 diverse members from across the organization whose task over the next six months was to ask and answer what they felt were the most pressing strategic question...

Even the small things you do make a difference. Pick out a few of these and start today to make them a habit. I have had the privilege of working with top leaders in all kinds of businesses. And I have found a definite pattern: their success is primarily the result of small actions repeated over and over. Here are 19 small things that you can do to keep your priorities in line and success within your reach: 1. Accept yourself.   When you know yourself you are empowered, but when you accept yourself you are invincible. 2. Build your character.   Most people focus on what they do to become successful, but who you are is just as important. Strong character is the foundation of the best kind of success. 3. Define your priorities.   Know what is important to you; be able to define it clearly. Then make sure it's at the top of your priorities every day. 4. Cultivate competence.  Anyone can dream big, but competence gives you the power to say it, plan it and...

My dad passed away on Christmas Eve two years ago. He was a committed atheist who taught me the power of belief. Every word from your lips has the power to build or destroy. Your words can be precious gifts that help change lives because behind their façade of confidence is usually someone secretly feeling that they’re an impostor. Inside the shy or reserved is often someone great who just needs a little encouragement to break-out. My parents divorced when I was age 9 and Dad moved interstate. He was a workaholic and not around very much so I really only got to know him well in my late teens when I moved to live near him. I then joined him in business and wow, what a ride. Dad was Mensa level genius, bipolar (manic-depressive) and an alcoholic... what a combination. He had a break-down and was hospitalized, and I was thrown in the deep-end to manage the business. My dad was difficult to work with, to say the least, and I was young and judgmental. But months later, over di...

A Harvard Psychologist Says This Trait Matters Most: 10 Ways to Make a Great First Impression people answer one question when they first meet you -- and that answer lays the foundation for a business relationship. Say you  meet a new  potential customer, a potential employer, or anyone with whom you want to establish a   business relationship . Which matters more: Showing that you're skilled, experienced, and  capable , or Showing that you're trustworthy and likable? Many people assume that skill, expertise, experience, and competence matter most. After all, if you're going to hire me or do business with me, you need to know I have the talent to come through, right? It's natural to assume you should establish your credentials as quickly as possible. Natural, but wrong. According to Amy Cuddy, how people initially judge you has little to do with whether you seem skilled or competent. Instead, people subconsciously ask themselves one question when they first mee...

Ditch these 5 bad habits now- today before they sabotage your successful future. If it's true that our habits determine our future, knowing our habits and where they take us is one of the most important things we can do to shape that future. Good habits will help us build success, while our bad habits will draw us off the path. It's the simple law of cause and effect. If you keep up your bad habits, you're making it more and more unlikely that you're going to get what you want. Here are some of the worst bad habits that leaders fall prey to. Ditch them today and watch your odds of success improve. Failing to hold a vision.  If you don't know where you're going, you will never arrive. Success means holding to a vision of what you want. Just saying "I have an idea" isn't going to make anything happen. You have to be specific and intentional about what you want. Without a vision to pull you into the future, you're likely to keep rever...

Want to have better conversations? It's time to break up with these pesky bad habits. Conversations are a big part of our everyday lives. And whether you think of yourself as a world-class communicator or as someone who would rather just send an email than deal with face-to-face chatter, chances are you have at least a few bad communication habits that are driving people crazy. Take a look at these eight common faux pas. Do you find yourself guilty of any of them? Well, it's time for you to pull in the reins and stop -- immediately. 1. Constantly interrupting . We all have one thing in common when talking: We want to be listened to. So if you're one of those people who tend to jump in and interrupt or -- even worse -- try to complete people's sentences for them, you need to keep yourself in check. You might think your constant interjections are a way to show your level of engagement. But they really just make ...