Clik here to view.
Are You a Worker Bee or a Wannabe?
I was recently talking to a fellow speaker about marketing. She was complaining (whining, really) because she had to put together a new marketing campaign for her services, and she wasn’t enjoying the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Success Lesson from Paul McCartney
I’ve had the good fortune to meet Paul McCartney a few times. And I say “good fortune” not just because it’s cool meeting famous people; I say “good fortune” because of the lesson I learned—and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Avoiding Failure vs. Achieving Success
We spend far too much time trying to avoid failure. It drives many (maybe even most) of our decisions—at least the bigger ones. “What if I fail?” “What if this doesn’t work?” “What if I get...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Great Business Lesson From the Grammys
Back in my Seattle TV days, I used to hang out occasionally with a guy named Dave Grohl, who was the drummer for a little trio called Nirvana. Last night, he and his current band, Foo Fighters, picked...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do One Thing Today
What will your one thing be today? Back when I was producing my sketch comedy TV show, Almost Live!, I had one cardinal rule that I followed, for each and every show, during the entire 15-year run....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Produce “Unreasonable” Results!
When I tell people that, as a motivational speaker, I work with, and speak for, organizations that want their people to play a bigger game and produce unreasonable results, the first question I get is,...
View ArticleIs Your Business Impossible to Ignore?
When the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show some 50 years ago, none of us could have predicted the unprecedented heights they would subsequently scale. Yet they still electrified the...
View ArticleHow To Be A Really Stupid “Smart” Leader
If, as a leader, you find that you’re always the smartest person in the room…you need to hire better people! The post How To Be A Really Stupid “Smart” Leader appeared first on The Executive Producer.
View ArticleClik here to view.
How To Be Twice As Good As The Competition
Would you like to be twice as good as your competition? The Beatles knew the formula! The post How To Be Twice As Good As The Competition appeared first on The Executive Producer.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Planning for the Future or for the Present?
#TheBeatles made a decision to hire for the future, not for the present. And that decision paid off Click To Tweet John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The Beatles. Four names as familiar to a generation of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Becoming Timeless: Bowie, the Beatles, and Apple
David Bowie existed before Ziggy Stardust, but it was Ziggy Stardust that put him on the map. The striking, glam costume; the red hair; the over-the-top Spiders from Mars tour—all these elements, plus,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s the Best Size for Your Team?
Leaders—good leaders, that is—put a lot of thought into the makeup of the various teams for which they’re responsible. They’re very concerned with, as Jim Collins put it, “getting the right people on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why “What” Is More Important Than “How”
Part of a leader’s job—a big part—is to define the destination. You can call it the vision, the target, the goal. At a certain point, these terms become almost interchangeable. They are all some...
View ArticleHow to Be a Great Little-Known Leader
John Wooden. Nelson Mandela. Richard Branson. Abraham Lincoln. Great leaders, all of them. Their words and actions inspired and motivated thousands upon thousands of people. But probably not you. At...
View ArticleHow To Make Your Team Hate You In One Easy Step
A friend of mine has a cat that she affectionately refers to as her “barnacle,” because he’s always there. Wherever she goes, there he is. The kitchen, the living room, the office, on the stairs—he is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Dots Will Make You a More Creative Leader
In my new TEDx Talk, I talk a lot about dots. Dots, dots, dots. Why would I waste so much of my precious 18 minutes talking about dots? Because dots are the building blocks of creativity, and...
View ArticleHow To Be Better Than Saturday Night Live
“You guys are better than Saturday Night Live!” I used to hear that all the time. I still do, although now “are” has changed to “were.” For 15 years, I was the Executive Producer of a sketch comedy TV...
View ArticleWhy The Best Leaders Are Out Of Control
I recently read an interview with Marija Ringwelsky, the co-founder and COO of Remedy, a company that helps protect people from medical overcharges and billing errors. In it, Ms. Ringwelsky said:...
View ArticleTo Think Out of the Box, Make the Box Smaller
QUICK QUIZ: Which assignment do you think a creative person would like more: Write a story about anything. Write a story about a duck. If you’re like most people (which, of course, you’re not—you’re...
View ArticleIt’s Not About You And Your Stupid Little Problems
For fifteen years, I was not allowed to get sick on Saturday. Sunday and Monday were fine; I could be sick then. Tuesday through Friday weren’t ideal, although if push came to shove, I could be sick...
View Article