A confession, yet again I have become addicted to watching ‘The Voice’ on Channel 9! One of the contestants Jackson Thomas an electrician said he applied to audition because ‘Rather than fixing lights, I want to be under the spotlight’. For technical people, our expertise is like fixing lights. Yet when we present we have to translate our expertise into something that works under the spotlight. Technical expertise is about …
Quantum leap your influence
What if lives were saved or lost because of your ability to influence? How do you influence when the stakes are so high? Pet Rescue Australia faces exactly this situation every day. Sadly 100,000 rescue dogs are put down every year in Australia. To make a difference, Pet Rescue had to influence more Australians to adopt dogs from shelters. They also had to …
Epic or everyday?
Quite often our first exposure to inspiring storytelling is when we see a motivational speaker on stage. And they usually narrate an epic story that involves scaling Mount Everest or sailing around the world solo. But interestingly in leadership I find what works on a daily basis is not epic stories but everyday stories. Stories about shopping in Bunnings, or going to a restaurant with friends or …
Who is the most influential person on the planet?
Every year Time Magazine publishes a list of the 100 most influential people. In introducing this year’s list, Managing Editor of Time, Nancy Gibbs said “The TIME 100 is a list of the world’s most influential men and women, not its most powerful. Power is a tool, influence is a skill; one is a fist, the other a fingertip”. Beyoncéis on …
Tasting stars – the perfect pitch
When Dom Périgno invented champagne he shouted to his fellow monks ‘Come quick, I’m tasting stars!’. What an irresistible pitch. No matter what you do, a core life and business skill is your ability to pitch an idea. So here are my top tips for a power pitch: Pointy: You should be able to pitch your idea in 30 seconds or …
Blame and shame or credit ? …Mirrors and windows
I am a cricket buff, so I was re watching Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell speech on YouTube, and yes I did feel teary at a point. What struck me is how his speech was filled with ‘window’ moments. I first came across the concept of ‘windows and mirrors’ in Jim Collins HBR article on Level 5 leadership. Collins describes level 5 …
How much does a hipster weigh?
I received an email this week asking ‘How much does a hipster weigh’. This was intriguing enough for me to click through. The email was from the gorgeous Studio Pennant designers announcing their move to hipster central in Fitzroy! What a clever way to announce moving instead of the clichéd ‘We are moving’. A 21st century business skill is definitely …
Driving through the skid…
My client Dee tripped on her way to stage to deliver a presentation. The audience gasped and Dee immediately stood up and said ‘Things can only get better’ and everyone laughed and there was even a smattering of applause at her recovery. Taxes and death are two guarantees in life, and I will add a third ‘Skids happen’. While I …
How to be great at…
This week I had the pleasure of working with a new client in Wellington, New Zeland. In the evening I was running along Wellington harbor when in the distance I saw what looked like a strange sight. Two runners were running side by side, holding what looked like a tambourine between them. When they came close I realised one of them was blind and …
3 instant presentation success secrets
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of presenting at Agile Melbourne. After I finished speaking Kerri Rusnak the amazing organiser asked the audience 3 questions: Did you learn something? Did you have fun? Are you inspired? I was immediately struck by what a powerful frame this is, not just for the audience but for all presenters. A universal brief for presenters …