Sir John Alexander Macdonald was a rascal and a drunk, and he took bribes. Yet he remains our greatest national hero, because, notwithstanding his flaws, he believed, he endured, and he accomplished. Sir John connived, cajoled and charmed four small, weak, quarreling colonies to form a new nation. From the outset he imagined a great…
“Don’t judge me ‘til you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” So goes the old adage. Over the last few weeks I’ve walked a few miles on crutches, rolled a few kilometres in a wheelchair, and learned that “don’t judge me” is no mere platitude. I’ve come to see the world in a very different…
If there is a single key to powerful communication, it’s integrity. Unsurprisingly, integrity is also an essential of leadership. The internet is full of all kinds of “tips and tricks” and even smart apps to help you communicate better, or to be more influential. These are wonderful, to a point, but in the end, it’s…
Last week I learned about excellent corporate communication the hard way. Long story short: I fell over my dog in the middle of the night and broke my ankle. I spent all next day at the Ottawa General Hospital. Once the pain subsided I had lots of time to observe a large organization communicating internally,…
Deceiving people for personal gain is sleazy, but very trendy these days. It’s useful to understand why and how “successful” liars operate. There are three mainstays to the successful practice of chicanery: the appeal to vanity, the arousal of fear, and flim-flam. These devices simply take advantage of our essential natures. You can blame your…
There are easily fifty thousand religious groups in the world, most of whom claim to have the inside track to Heaven. Their adherents insist you join them. Ditto for thousands of political parties. Inevitably, some of their representatives (Believers and proselytizers) will accost you with a view to recruiting you. Mostly, this is just background…
You’re under the gun, but your brain is paralyzed. Mush. Frozen. Your expertise is a myth, your talents are on vacation, and creative juices have dried to dust. You sit staring at the screen, immobilized by the pending train-wreck. You want to pull the covers over your head and cry yourself to sleep. That was…
Does voice mail drive you crazy? Me, too. I hate it. Everything about it. I hate leaving it. I hate getting it. In thirty-six years as a lawyer, I’ve heard about twenty good voice messages, and three zillion bad ones, including dogs barking, throat clearing, restaurant noise, the lion cage at the zoo, and what…
Language on autopilot is a graceless thing. And often dangerous. Consider the construction “We would kindly like to invite you…” It’s a linguistic disaster. You see it every day, but being ubiquitous doesn’t stop it from being iniquitous. What’s so wrong? Well, the construction offends on at least three counts. First, it’s hackneyed. Expressions which…
If your listener trusts you, your impact is multiplied. To be a powerful communicator you need to know how to earn trust. There are eight keys: 1. Tribal solidarity: Are you part of the listeners’ community, or are you a stranger? If you speak the language of their group, you have the advantage. If your…