First Friday Book Synopsis

JULY 8, 2014

'I watched the 60 Minutes segment on Malcolm Gladwell on Sunday: Malcolm Gladwell, The Power of the Underdog. It was a repeat segment – and it was the second time I watched it. This time, I had a a new thought. First, remember the name of his latest book — David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits […].

Blog 167

Blog Power Books 167

First Friday Book Synopsis

JULY 23, 2014

'Ethical: Adjective following accepted rules of behavior : morally right and good ——————– So, here’s a question. What happens when your ethics are unethical? What happens when “following accepted rules of behavior” actually means following utterly unacceptable rules of behavior? Try this line of thought: Property values must be protected Anything that threatens property values must be […].

Ethics 167

Ethics Morale Blog 167

First Friday Book Synopsis

MAY 20, 2014

'“How can you improve if you are never wrong? If you don’t admit a mistake and take responsibility for it, you’re bound to make the same one again.” Pat Summitt, legendary basketball coach He urged Abramson to be a better manager. The Times’s human-resources department helped her find an executive coach. “When you have someone […].

Human Resources 154

Human Resources Executive Coaching Blog Resources 154

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 13, 2014

'Its not a new problem. But it is still a problem; in many (too many) instances, a great injustice. And it is, yet again, in the news this week Here, to ponder, excerpted, the words of Dr. King from his famous written-from-a-jail-cell letter, and two of his speeches. ——————– Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from […].

Letter 149

Letter Blog 149

First Friday Book Synopsis

OCTOBER 23, 2014

'(a couple of posts about communication issues today. Here’s the first). If you read many articles about different approaches to take for speeches and presentations, you find a lot of people in favor of not using a manuscript. But… maybe you should. Here’s my thinking. First, quick: name the greatest speeches you know of. Pick […].

Blog 148

Blog Article 148

First Friday Book Synopsis

SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

'Let’s do this again… What is it you are trying to communicate? If you are giving a speech, a business presentation, sending an e-mail, writing a report, then you have something to communicate. What is it you are trying to communicate? Whatever that “it” is that you are trying to communicate, say “it” clearly, succinctly, […].

Blog 148

Blog Report 148

First Friday Book Synopsis

MARCH 30, 2014

'So, here’s your question for the day — what have you abandoned that you wish you had not abandoned? Success requires a lot of starting, and then tweaking, and improving, and collaborating – and, then, sometimes, some intentional stopping. If something is not going to work out, then it’s time to stop doing it. But, […].

Blog 149

Blog Execution Succession 149

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 29, 2014

'Here is an excerpt from an article written by Gary Hamel for Harvard Business Review and the HBR Blog Network. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, obtain subscription information, and receive HBR email alerts, please click here. * * * Note: This post is part of a series leading […].

Hamel 146

Hamel Drucker Globalization Survey 146

First Friday Book Synopsis

APRIL 23, 2014

'This is profound – a key lesson for speakers, and for all who craft messages of any kind. When I teach speech, I go over the classic arguments describing the available means of persuasion’s three primary elements (all from Aristotle): logos (the logical argument), ethos (the ethical argument – the credibility of the speaker), and pathos […].

Power 146

Power Tools Ethics Blog 146

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

'So, there are times when I feel like a horse and buggy in a Tesla world. And, it’s pretty scary. I think I get the main point. The world is changing – a lot – fast! – faster than ever before. And, the pace of change is only going to accelerate. But, there are times […].

Globalization 145

Globalization Organization Blog 145

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 20, 2014

'I presented my synopsis of Never Eat Alone (And Other Secrets to Success One Relationship at a Time) by Keith Ferrazi this morning at the Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce. (Good group!). They were “re-starting” for the fall, and the reminders of this book on how to become a much better networking professional seemed to fit […].

Blog 145

Blog Books Succession How To 145

First Friday Book Synopsis

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Mark Antony, in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare ——————– One of my prized posessions is the book by William Safire, Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History. I read speeches – plenty of speeches. But the title (and the quote from Mark Antony that is […].

Tips 145

Tips Blog Books 145

First Friday Book Synopsis

FEBRUARY 19, 2014

'If someone’s baseline rewards aren’t adequate, or equitable, her focus will be on the unfairness of her situation and the anxiety of her circumstance. You’ll get neither the predictability of extrinsic motivation nor the weirdness of intrinsic motivation. You’ll get very little motivation at all. But once we’re past that threshold, carrots and sticks can […].

Motivation 145

Motivation Tips Blog 145

First Friday Book Synopsis

JULY 19, 2014

'While Google and Yahoo are developing their chosen niches with major acquisitions, Microsoft’s credo of staying lean could set them apart—at least for a while. But just like the rise of Apple, arguably one of the leanest, best-positioned tech companies to weather the coming years, the winner will be whoever lands on the product that […].

Blog 144

Blog Team Positioning Productivity 144

First Friday Book Synopsis

JUNE 15, 2014

'It was many years ago (literally, decades ago) that I read John Malloy’s Dress for Success, and I have basically always remembered his simple rules. I’m pretty much still a suit and tie guy (maybe my age – not sure), and I learned from him to wear a dark suit (but, not black – too […].

Blog 144

Blog Succession 144

First Friday Book Synopsis

JULY 25, 2014

'{Twitter length summary – you need a “big block of cheese day” n yur own organization 2 facilitate communication, especially listening, throughout entire organization}. ——————– Read a book on leadership; read any ten books on leadership… You will likely find this in each one. A leader has to be a listener, a very good listener. […].

Blog 144

Blog Books Organization Leadership 144

First Friday Book Synopsis

JANUARY 22, 2014

'One of the items included in this morning’s Fast Company daily e-mail is: MASTERING THE FINE ART OF GETTING TO THE POINT, by Lydia Dishman. It takes a look at the key concepts from Joe McCormack, who has a new book coming out, Brief: Make A Bigger Impact by Saying Less. Good, useful article! The […].

Blog 144

Blog Article Books Company 144

First Friday Book Synopsis

APRIL 1, 2014

'This is what we know. People resist change. They really resist change. And yet, they need to change. They really need to change. So – they need to change; they know that they need to change; they want to want to change… but they resist change, and are almost always led “kicking and screaming” into […].

Resistance 143

Resistance Kotter Blog 143

First Friday Book Synopsis

MARCH 14, 2014

'I have believed that two of the greatest living biographers are David McCullough and Douglas Brinkley. I have blogged before about their best-selling works.Please add to their companionship the name of Paul Dickson, whose biography, Bill Veeck (New York: Walker Publishing, 2012), is as thorough and entertaining of this type of book that I have read. […].

Blog 143

Blog Books 143

First Friday Book Synopsis

SEPTEMBER 20, 2014

'tiny tweaks (can lead to) BIG CHANGES Those words are flashed on the screen near the end of the terrific TED Talk by Amy Cuddy. (Her Talk, Your body language shapes who you are, is currently the second most viewed TED Talk ever, and I show it to every one of my Speech classes). It takes us […].

Cialdini 142

Cialdini Class Blog 142

First Friday Book Synopsis

APRIL 5, 2014

'I presented my synopsis of Accelerate yesterday at the First Friday Book Synopsis. (Accelerate (XLR8): Building Strategic Ability for a Faster-Moving World by John Kotter?. Harvard Business Review Press, 2014). Here is a brief summary of what John Kotter says in his new book, Accelerate: Whatever is working well now is threatened now. The pace of […].

Kotter 141

Kotter Operations System Blog 141

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 26, 2014

'Call this a reflection on favorite writers… There are times when I don’t like our “everyone is a critic” culture. Sometimes, I just want to be a fan of my favorite writers. Recently, someone slammed a book by one of my favorite authors, saying that he just did not find it valuable. It got me […].

Books 141

Books Blog 141

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 4, 2014

'“I request that it be arranged that such inhuman deeds be discontinued, or else be done where one does not have to see it.” Eleanore Gusenbauer, who lived on a high point overlooking the Concentration Camp in Mauthausen, Austria, in a letter to the SS Leader at the Camp, in 1938 (Quoted in Margaret Heffernan’s […].

Letter 141

Letter Books Blog 141

First Friday Book Synopsis

OCTOBER 2, 2014

'First, read this very important excerpt form The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande: We have just two reasons that we may fail. The first is ignorance – we may err because science has given us only a partial understanding of the world and how it works. There are skyscrapers we do not yet know how […].

Blog 140

Blog 140

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 12, 2014

'Depression is the aloneness within us made manifest, and it destroys not only connection to others but also the ability to be peacefully alone with oneself. Depression cannot be wiped out so long as we are creatures conscious of our own selves. It can at best be contained  and containing it is all that […].

Blog 140

Blog 140

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 10, 2014

'Recently, I told an audience that Willful Blindness by Margaret Heffernan was the best book I have read in the last few years. I knew I should have used a different word than best. Maybe I should have said the most important book Ive read in the last few years. Anyway, a member of the […].

Books 140

Books Audience Blog 140

First Friday Book Synopsis

JULY 6, 2014

'The reasons they left their homes in the Old World included war, drought, famine and religious persecution, and all had hopes for greater opportunity in the New World. (From History.com) ——————— Today wraps up our 4th of July weekend celebration. We’ve seen fireworks, heard the Patriotic songs, and eaten hot dogs and apple pie.

Blog 140

Blog 140

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

'Randy, could you give me a few books or maybe the best book on servant leadership that you have come across? That question came from a Dallas Police Officer, who has attended some training sessions we’ve put on for the DPD through the Caruth Institute. It’s a very good question. I recently heard a student speech […].

Leadership 139

Leadership Blog Training Books 139

First Friday Book Synopsis

JUNE 2, 2014

'I teach Speech, lead Presentation Skills Training Sessions, and write frequently on speaking and communication issues. Here are a number of my blog posts dealing with speaking/presentation and communication issues. They are in no particular order, except I think the first two (ok — maybe the first three) might be the “read these first” posts.

Blog 139

Blog Training Skills 139

First Friday Book Synopsis

MAY 19, 2014

'There’s a scene in one of the Bourne movies (I think the second) when the character played by Joan Allen walks into a room full of folks in front of their computer terminals, looking for Jason Bourne. The character played by David Strathairn asks them all to introduce themselves, and the Allen character shuts that […].

Management 138

Management Blog 138

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

'per·so·na noun the aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others. ——————– A number of years ago, I heard a preacher from Atlanta. He was African American, gifted, a brilliant communicator… He preached his entire adult life, but also served as a state court judge, serving in City Court in Atlanta. […].

Blog 138

Blog 138

First Friday Book Synopsis

MAY 3, 2014

'I think I grasp the story behind Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis. I say “I think,” because it is not an easy story to grasp. The hero of his story, Brad Katsuyama, put together a very talented team, and spent a long time trying to understand just what was happening to […].

Blog 137

Blog Team 137

First Friday Book Synopsis

APRIL 8, 2014

'We hear a lot about “finding your voice.” It’s a wonderful theme, and a genuine challenge – to find your authentic, inner, true-to-yourself voice. (I got an e-mail about this today). I always think of Diane Rehm’s book, Finding My Voice, when I read anything on this theme. I’m a fan, a big believer, in […].

Blog 137

Blog Books 137

First Friday Book Synopsis

MAY 23, 2014

'I know, I know… it is really dangerous to say that there is one “secret” to anything. But, I think I’m ready to acknowledge one such secret. The secret to getting good at speaking is: Practice! Ok, I’ll add a slight addition to this secret: Practice + Rehearsal! I’ve just finished one of my two-day […].

Blog 137

Blog 137

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 24, 2014

'Innovation: The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. To be called an innovation, an idea must be replicable at an economical cost and must satisfy a specific need. From BusinessDictionary.com Read this article, What is Innovation? 30+ definitions lead to […].

Innovation 136

Innovation Definition Blog Cost 136

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 17, 2014

'“Acquaint yourself with your own ignorance.” Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind Quoted in The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer ——————– Every now and then, we should remind ourselves of the basics. Though there are a lot of reasons for reading – to escape, to journey, to be entertained, to be amused… — one […].

Education 136

Education Development Blog 136

First Friday Book Synopsis

MAY 1, 2014

'Here’s one secret to success. Once you know what to do, get to it and get it done. As close as I can tell, business success (ok – any kind of success) requires these two steps. Decide what to do. And then, do it well. You can use lots of fancy vocabulary for this process, […].

Planning 135

Planning Books Blog Process 135