Reading List: Four Seconds
A four-second time-out—the duration of a deep breath—can mean the difference between screwing up and being successful on any given day, says best-selling author and consultant Peter Bregman. This quick pause “can be powerful enough to subvert a poor decision and replace it with a smarter one,” writes Bregman, a Harvard Business Review columnist who […]
5 Smart Ways to Foster Innovation
A lot of the time—too much of the time—new ideas die on the vine. We aren’t ready for them when they hit us, we don’t nurture them, we put up roadblocks to stop them in their tracks or we simply let them fizzle by not providing appropriate support. There are measured ways to foster innovation, […]
Reading List: Mindful Work
In simplest terms, mindfulness meditation is the practiced art and discipline of keeping ourselves aware and present in the moment. In the process, people benefit from decreased stress, improved mental focus and reduced depression, writes New York Times staffer and longtime practitioner David Gelles in Mindful Work: How Meditation Is Changing Business from the Inside […]
Reading List: Captivology
Thanks to technology, we have easy access to copious amounts of information, amusement and global connectivity. But that access comes at a cost, writes tech journalist and entrepreneur Ben Parr. As a result of our 24/7 world, our attention spans have diminished, making it more difficult for individuals and companies to be noticed. The “science” […]
Reading List: Performing Under Pressure
Pressure is “the enemy of success,” a saboteur that adversely impacts cognitive function and behavioral performance, write psychologist Hendrie Weisinger and performance coach J.P. Pawliw-Fry. The duo conducted 20 years of research on the intricacies of managing stress levels and common pressure traps while working with organizations such as NASA, the CIA, the FBI, Merrill […]
Reading List: Get Big Things Done
Connectional intelligence is the ability to combine the world’s diversity of people, networks and disciplines to influence the greatest number of people “toward a loftier purpose—improving people’s lives, building sustainable societies and creating the futures we want,” declare Erica Dhawan, a teaching fellow and researcher at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, and Saj-nicole […]
John C. Maxwell: Do You Realize How Close You Are to Being Extraordinary?
Do you think of yourself as extraordinary? Are you rolling your eyes because you think extraordinary is some special, unattainable status held by a privileged few? Let me share a secret: The distance between ordinary and extraordinary is much smaller than you think, and they’re separated by the smallest of margins. Crossing over is as simple as […]
2014 SUCCESS Achiever of the Year: Reed Hastings
The story of Netflix is about the continuing evolution of TV and film, and the journey of one man who turned his annoyance over a late fee into a billion-dollar business. Pass the popcorn. Our Achiever of the Year, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings, 54, has himself evolved, proving fit enough to survive both […]
Reading List: The Great Beanie Baby Bubble
In November 1993, toy tycoon Ty Warner introduced Beanie Babies at the Smoky Mountain Gift Show in Gatlinburg, Tenn. “Always prepared to build hype, Warner had only two of the Beanies available for sale at that event,” writes Zac Bissonnette. “Seven more were on display but not then available for order.” Implying or creating a […]
Reading List: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
After a series of personal tragedies threatened to derail her, clinical social worker and psychotherapist Amy Morin wrote a blog about the things that mentally strong people do not do and the things that let them sidestep self-defeating attitudes (self-pity, resentment and dwelling on the past) to overcome obstacles and push through challenges. Her blog […]
Peter Diamandis Shows You How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World
The world’s biggest problems are also the world’s biggest business opportunities, says tech entrepreneur, philanthropist and author Peter Diamandis. “Today anyone who is passionate about solving a problem can make a dent in it,” he says. Diamandis’s new book, Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World (Simon & Schuster), co-authored with […]
Reading List: The Work
In this follow-up to his best-selling book The Other Wes Moore, the author resumes his personal story with his time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He chronicles his deployment to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, followed by his stint as a White House Fellow working as a special assistant to Secretary of […]