It may seem like circumstances are holding you back right now. But psychologist Gay Hendricks thinks that most of us are self-sabotaging in ways we don’t even realize. One of the most common barriers to success, according to Hendricks, is something called the Upper Limit Problem (ULP). It’s a self-imposed, subconscious limit for how much […]
Don’t Be a Doormat
How can you be a more generous professional without letting other people step all over you? By doing one favor at a time. So-called sharks have a reputation for succeeding in business. But kind, good-natured people can also be tremendously successful as professionals. The key to be conscientious about generosity, giving in a way that […]
How to Fake It
The best way to acquire confidence is to act as though you already have it. Just fake it till you make it. Public speaking is akin to putting on an act for an audience, much as a theater performer will do in a play. Like an actor, a speaker can project confidence with body language […]
The Next New Thing
You don’t need to hire a consultant or stage a fancy brainstorming session. The best source of new business ideas is right in front of your eyes: your ordinary everyday routines. Take entrepreneur Kristina Guerrero. She wasn’t planning to start a business, much less get involved in the pet food industry. Her product idea, a […]
Negativity Isn’t All Bad
Your bad attitude serves an evolutionary purpose. No, it’s not just pessimism. Whenever you find yourself fixating on anxiety and fear, it’s likely because your brain is trying to keep you safe. Humans owe their survival as a species to highly evolved biological and psychological strategies. Case in point: the brain’s amygdala processes stimuli to help […]
Refresh Your Style
You probably know good style when you see it on the street. But can you recognize it on the page? Prose style is unique to each writer, and it’s a quality that only emerges with patience and practice. For that reason, style isn’t something you can learn by following specific steps or a uniform recipe. […]
Why It’s Hard to Get Started
Is it possible to become too invested in your work? Obviously, entrepreneurs need to be passionate. But it’s equally important to avoid fixating on perfection, which can delay the start date of a new product or service. The goal should always be to make the first sale as quickly as possible. First-time entrepreneurs sometimes suffer from inertia, letting their fear […]
Build Trust Fast
This week, the chief executives of Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google were grilled by the US House Judiciary Committee. Members of both major American political parties have clamored for the four Big Tech firms to be investigated for violation of antitrust legislation. The four executives—Tim Cook of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, […]
Value People Over Profit
A business’s success is driven by two main currencies: resources and employee goodwill. With economies reeling from the effects of COVID-19, reduced resources are a challenge for many companies right now. But the good news is that high-quality leadership and a clearly defined mission tend to boost goodwill—which motivational speaker Simon Sinek believes is the most […]
Forget Your Haters (and Your Fans)
Is the customer really always right? Businesses often operate under this assumption, but it can lead them to make costly mistakes. Placing too much emphasis on others’ feedback can mean chasing fads instead of pursuing change that would improve the business’s performance. Customers’ tastes change constantly, and sometimes the suggestions companies receive from them would perform terribly […]
