FIND THE ONE PERCENT
When I interviewed bestselling business author, Daniel Pink, he shared a lesson that stayed with him long after law school. In a class on International Business Transactions, his professor – Harold Hongju Koh – offered this advice: “Focus on the core idea – find the one per cent that matters.” If you could grasp and explain that, you understood the topic. You owned it. That lesson goes beyond law. It’s for anyone who needs to explain an idea, sell a product, lead a team or teach something new.
Continue ReadingHONESTY DOESN’T NEED A LABEL
In an episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Thierry Henry gave a fascinating interview. I admire Thierry. To me, he’s one of the best players to have ever played in the Premier League. But in that interview, I noticed something (nothing to do with football). Almost every time he answered a question, he started with “To be honest…” or “I’m going to be honest with you…” We all say it. I’ve caught myself doing it too.
Continue ReadingSTICK WITH THE FUNDAMENTALS
John Roussot, author of Liberate Your Greatness, is a black belt in three styles of karate. His journey offers a powerful lesson for communicators. John started karate at five years old. In the beginning, training was repetitive: punch, punch, punch. Most of his friends gave up. But John stayed with it. He repeated the basics over and over. Years later, he could throw six punches in a single second. That happened because he mastered the fundamentals.
Continue ReadingTHE ROOM ISN’T THE PROBLEM
It’s the preparation that came before it. We tend to blame the audience when a presentation doesn’t land – too passive, too quiet, too sceptical, too distracted. It’s easy to think people weren’t listening because they didn’t care. But often, they didn’t care because you didn’t give them a reason to. But most rooms reflect what they’re given. If the message isn’t clear, people won’t know what to take away.
Continue ReadingSTRENGTH IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
In public speaking, what seems like a weakness could be your strength. Are you a non-native English speaker? You might speak more slowly. This can be a plus, especially for international audiences. It gives people time to understand and absorb your words. Do you prefer writing and sticking to a script? It might seem rigid, but with a bit of flexibility, this thorough preparation helps you cover all key points.
Continue ReadingSTART LIKE IT MATTERS
No James Bond movie starts slowly. They all open with action – car chases, explosions, impossible escapes – before the theme song even begins. The filmmakers know they have only seconds to grab your attention. Presentations are no different. The first few moments decide everything. Your audience is thinking: Should I listen, or should I tune out? You don’t have time to ease in with, “Hi, great to be here, thanks for having me.”
Continue ReadingYOU HAVE TO SHARE IT
In May 1952, Rosalind Franklin captured one of the most important scientific images of the 20th century: Photo 51. It was a detailed X-ray image of DNA that showed it had a twisted, spiral shape – the breakthrough clue scientists needed to understand how DNA is built. Franklin was focused on her research. She was preparing her own publications and hadn’t yet widely disseminated the image. But behind her back, a colleague at King’s College, Maurice Wilkins, showed Photo 51 to James Watson – without her knowledge or permission.
Continue ReadingHOPE ISN’T A STRATEGY
A few years ago, I hosted a live event with Dan Roam as the guest speaker. We did a smooth tech check thirty minutes before going live – everything worked. Then, thirty seconds before showtime, my setup crashed. Total chaos. Dan handled it brilliantly. We improvised a new setup on the fly, and the event still worked. But it was a reminder I won’t forget. Here’s the lesson: If it can go wrong, it might.
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