What if you every time you interacted with clients you made an effort to truly observe them and how they responded to you? What if instead of focusing on what you are saying, feeling and thinking, you focused on them? The ability to do this is what sets successful leaders apart from everyone else. In […]
You’ve no doubt heard, used, and even applied this maxim to yourself or those around you. Fake it until you make it…or rather, actually become it. There are plenty of studies that back up the notion that there is a lot of power in visualizing the achievement of goals that require strengths or skills we […]
We can always improve our communication – always! Not all of us will be required to give formal speeches on a stage with hundreds of people. However, each day you give a series of mini-speeches to audiences ranging in size, of matters differing in importance. You don’t need to be a keynote speaker to need […]
At this title, you might be wondering how I know what it takes to make the close. But, having spent fourteen years in sales and marketing at Bloomberg, as well as serving in a few different leadership roles in business development, I can tell you effectively leading is being an effective salesperson. In sales, you […]
I have a list of must-read book recommendations ready to give anyone who asks. On that list is a book that I give to every client and student. What could possibly be so important that everyone I work with must have it? A book focused on identifying strengths. So often we are overcome with everything […]
I was recently invited to be a guest on the All Things Risk podcast with Ben Cattaneo where he made an analogy that I quite liked and could identify with given my mountaineering background. When discussing the unknowns of life and our careers, he likened our experiences to exploring a cavern with several nooks, crannies, […]
An article in Nature Neuroscience led by Benedetto De Martino, a cognitive neuroscientist in the field of decision-making and neuroeconomics, states that the brain has direct links between knowing what you want and the ability to express it. His research demonstrated that the more confidence a person had in his or her ideas, the more […]
It’s okay to be human. In fact, it’s critical. Effective leadership, or the ability to truly speak the language of leading, requires vulnerability – the willingness to remove the mask of perfection. Those who are emotionally intelligent know that perfection or the expectation of perfection is unrealistic. Revealing vulnerabilities is an effective way to strip […]
The character John Keating, played by Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society, is my role model. He encouraged his students to be authentic, innovative, and to find the courage to plot their own career paths. In my work with students and executives, my goal is to embody the timeless core values expressed by […]
At this point in the summer, many of the gardening efforts made in the spring are coming to fruition – hopefully. Just as I hope you are enjoying fresh carrots, beets, tomatoes and all number of other vegetables and fruits, you can enjoy the “fruits” of thoughtful planning, preparation, and cultivation for personal improvement. My […]
What does it mean to truly overcome your fear? In a previous post, I introduced the incredible accomplishments of Yuichiro Miura, the oldest man to summit Mount Everest three times. During a press conference announcing his admission into the Guinness Book of World Records, Miura asked, “what would you do, what would you attempt if […]
“Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you…Anything you can be, I can be greater. Sooner or later I’m greater than you…” Many of us are familiar with these lyrics from Irving Berlin’s 1946 Broadway musical, Annie Get Your Gun. The song reminds me of incredible accomplishments achieved […]
What does it mean to inspire? I think inspiration is something we often take for granted and I wanted to explore it further. Let’s start with one of the holiest and most renown places in the world. The Vatican, in Rome, Italy attracts approximately five million visitors each year – many of those visitors on […]
The Language of Leading – it’s something to think about. In my book, A Climb to the Top, I spotlight a good friend and fine executive colleague of mine, Lou Eccleston, the CEO of Canada’s TMX Group. His ability to communicate in a way that inspires change is masterful. With my recent focus on leadership […]
It’s just the tip of the iceberg. That phrase was ultimately what sunk the great Titanic. In the Spring of 1912, the “Unsinkable Ship” would make its maiden voyage – launching from Belfast, Ireland and set to arrive in New York City. Considered a modern marvel at the time, individuals who made it on the […]
Abundance and scarcity are typically talked about as worldviews on opposite ends of a spectrum. On one hand, you have an individual who perceives life full of opportunity – plenty for each person. On the other end, you have an individual who believes there’s not enough success or opportunity and therefore, they tend to operate […]
It’s August 9th, 2010. You have just arrived at the Pittsburgh airport and you’re beginning the process needed to fly to New York on Jet Blue Flight 1052. You made it through check-in, security check, and are in the midst of boarding your flight. You find a spot for your carry-on amongst the hustle and […]
It’s blockbuster movie season – we’re right at the start of the summer season! With that comes all number of cinema experiences; some offering romances, others epic science-fiction journeys. One of this year’s movies is another release from the Star Wars brand which I’m sure will be quite popular throughout the summer. When you think […]
Why do you make the choices you do? What caused you to choose the breakfast you ate, the clothes you picked out for the day, or the movie you wanted to watch last night? We make decisions and choices all day long – from the procedural to how we choose to react to others. According […]
I previously wrote on the importance of developing a mindset of success – you can read it here. A major factor in being successful throughout your life will be how you think about your abilities and the circumstances around you. As I touched on before, The Locus of Control, as introduced by Julian Rotter in […]
Chuck Garcia