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# Moving People to Action

Challenging and Supporting People to do the Most Important Work of their Lives

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## Posts

- [All Posts](https://conorneill.com/all-posts/)
- [Prompt Engineering: the most important skill for 2030?](https://conorneill.com/2023/06/03/prompt-engineering-the-most-important-skill-for-2030/) - Update June 2023: OpenAI have now provided an extensive guide to Prompt Engineering. It's worth a review. Prompt Engineering. Today I've been on a zoom call with a group of senior business leaders from around the world. The number of times that chatGPT has been mentioned (by very senior business people) hit me. In my
- [How to Prepare for an Interview (by the CEO of Korn Ferry)](https://conorneill.com/2026/04/26/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview-by-the-ceo-of-korn-ferry/) - I receive a regular email newletter from Gary Burnison, the CEO of Korn Ferry, one of the top 5 executive recruitment companies in the world. This week's newletter shared the story of a friend's child... who absolutely bombed in a recent interview. You can sign up for Gary's regular newsletter here: https://www.kornferry.com/subscribe/hr-newsletter I'll focus on
- [The Hero's Journey: Every Leader Must Answer a Call](https://conorneill.com/2026/04/25/the-heros-journey-every-leader-must-answer-a-call/) - This post is part of the series: Jung for Leaders — The Inner Work of Moving People to ActionAlso in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung's 5 Pillars of a Happy Life The hero's journey is about personal transformation through adversity. "Nobody ever said: I went
- [The Anima and Animus: Integrating Caring and Challenge](https://conorneill.com/2026/04/19/the-anima-and-animus-integrating-caring-and-challenge/) - This post is part of the series: Jung for Leaders — The Inner Work of Moving People to ActionAlso in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung's 5 Pillars of a Happy Life I find it easy to engage and connect with people. It drains my energy
- [Individuation: The Journey From Success to Significance](https://conorneill.com/2026/04/08/individuation-the-journey-from-success-to-significance/) - This post is part of the series: Jung for Leaders — The Inner Work of Moving People to ActionAlso in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung's 5 Pillars of a Happy Life In 2007 I was owner and CEO of a fast growing private jet business
- [The Persona: Are You Leading as Yourself, or as a Mask?](https://conorneill.com/2026/03/16/the-persona-are-you-leading-as-yourself-or-as-a-mask/) - This post is part of the series: Jung for Leaders — The Inner Work of Moving People to Action| Next post | Previous Post Also in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung's 5 Pillars of a Happy Life When I was first asked to become a teacher at IESE
- [The Shadow: The Part of You That Sabotages Your Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2026/03/10/the-shadow-the-part-of-you-that-sabotages-your-leadership/) - This post is part of the series: Jung for Leaders — The Inner Work of Moving People to ActionAlso in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung's 5 Pillars of a Happy Life The Importance of Awareness We only have the capacity to take decisions and make
- [Understanding Personality: The 12 Jungian Archetypes](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/21/understanding-personality-the-12-jungian-archetypes/) - This post is part of the series: Jung for Leaders — The Inner Work of Moving People to ActionAlso in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung’s 5 Pillars of a Happy Life The 12 Jungian Archetypes Ruler The 4 Cardinal Orientations The 4 cardinal orientations that the archetypes are seeking to realise
- [How to cope with Change (including AI)](https://conorneill.com/2026/03/06/how-to-cope-with-change-including-ai/) - The leaders who best cope with change in their environments do 3 things better than those who struggle to cope: Awareness - notice shifts early, like a canary in a coal mine. Tools - have many, not one trick. Feedback - write expectations, check results. Awareness In the old times of coal mining, miners took
- [It’s hard to engage with a character who isn’t trying](https://conorneill.com/2026/02/08/its-hard-to-engage-with-a-character-who-isnt-trying/) - Trying Changes Everything “It’s hard to engage with a character who isn’t trying.” — Nathan Bransford Nathan is a book editor talking about fictional characters, but his insight holds equally true in real life. We instinctively favour people who are actually doing something — people taking a risk and putting effort into creating a result.
- [30 Years of Productivity Advice from Dan Pink](https://conorneill.com/2026/01/27/30-years-of-productivity-advice-from-dan-pink/) - This blog has often shared my posts and reflections about being productive, making good use of your days. Here is 6 time author Dan Pink with another great video on Productivity. Again he provides 12 minutes of gold. I'm sharing his video here. I recently shared his great video How to make 2026 the best
- [Commitment Intelligence (has 3 ingredients)](https://conorneill.com/2026/01/16/commitment-intelligence-has-3-ingredients/) - You did well in school with thinking intelligence. Life needs something else: "commitment intelligence". I see it in leaders who win long-term. School problems? Think your way out. Life challenges? Commit your way through. Commitment intelligence has 3 ingredientes: Time horizon - amateurs tend to have an unrealistically short expectation of the time that it
- [If you want 2026 to be the best year of your life, please watch this video…](https://conorneill.com/2026/01/05/if-you-want-2026-to-be-the-best-year-of-your-life-please-watch-this-video/) - In Vistage we often talk about "success models". We ask people "what is your success model?". Effective, successful leaders have one. A success model for a new year This is an extremely practical and complete guide to really making positive progress in 2026. I was all set for making a video of my own, but
- [Set Clear Intentions for 2026: My own Process… and my Intention](https://conorneill.com/2025/12/12/set-clear-intentions-for-2026-my-own-process-and-my-intention/) - If I was to try to summarise all of my leadership teachings down into one word, the word would be "Intentional". I teach leaders to be intentional: to get crystal clear on who they are, where they are going, with whom and why. In communications I teach leaders to clarify their "Point X" - a
- [How to use YouTube to Build Your Business and Personal Brand](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/29/how-to-use-youtube-to-build-your-business-and-personal-brand/) - How to begin vlogging on YouTube This is based on my last 8 years of youtubing (now at 470,000 subscribers, over 22M video views) and over 11 years of maintaining a regular blog here at www.conorneill.com. My advice to you... point 5 is by far the single most important tip. 8 Tips for Vlogging Success Do
- [How to Balance Exploration and Exploitation for Success](https://conorneill.com/2025/11/17/how-to-balance-exploration-and-exploitation-for-success/) - I watched a wonderful speech by Rory Sutherland on my flight recently from Barcelona to Dublin. He shared several valuable concepts, but one that stuck with me - how to balance Exploration and Exploitation in our lives and in our businesses. Explore new things. Then focus on what works. If you only explore, you never
- [Prove to the World that you can Do Hard Things](https://conorneill.com/2025/10/04/prove-to-the-world-that-you-can-do-hard-things/) - Jim Rohn said don’t wish for success; wish to become the kind of person who attracts success. This video shares what I consider my second most important life lesson (here is the first): prove to yourself that you can do hard things. School is more than learning facts; it’s a system that teaches discipline through
- [The Power of Iteration: Repetition, not Time leads to Excellence](https://conorneill.com/2025/09/16/the-power-of-iteration-repetition-not-time-leads-to-excellence/) - It's not time, but iterations that build skill. Practice a skill repeatedly. Get feedback. Adjust and try again. This is what speeds learning. How many iterations are you getting this week? Often, the most significant progress isn’t about the sheer volume of effort, but the consistent, iterative approach. If you liked this post you will
- [Carl Jung’s 5 Pillars of a Happy Life](https://conorneill.com/2025/05/17/carl-jungs-5-pillars-of-a-happy-life/) - Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and collaborator of Freud, has long been one of the thinkers I return to again and again. One of his most lasting contributions is the idea of archetypes—the basis of the single most read and shared post on this blog. These five ideas aren’t complicated. They’re not even uniquely “psychological.”
- [You will be the Same Person in 5 years... Except for 2 things](https://conorneill.com/2025/04/09/you-will-be-the-same-person-in-5-years-except-for-2-things-2/) - I recently made a video (shared below) about 2 things that have the power to make a difference to who you will be in 5 years time. I said 2: Books you read Relationships with people and recently came across a tweet with a few more... but still very much under your own control. The
- [How to use your brain well](https://conorneill.com/2025/04/07/how-to-use-your-brain-well/) - A recent FT article shared some data on the increasing challenge that young people have with basic thinking and learning. I suspect it is not just 18 year olds. I credit mobile phones and social media as the prime cause in humans losing the capacity to use their brains well. How to use your brain
- [6 Rules on Life from Mathew McConaghey](https://conorneill.com/2025/03/28/6-rules-on-life-from-mathew-mcconaghey/) - Life is 100% better when nobody knows anything about you Don't take advice from people who are not where you want to be in life Everyone will show you who they are if you wait long enough You need to be smart enough to create your own opportunities, don't wait for them to come to
- [Visibility creates Accountability](https://conorneill.com/2025/03/28/visibility-creates-accountability/) - Simple concept. I think we actually know what is most important... we just forget quickly and regularly. The moment something becomes visible—goals, metrics, progress, behavior, scores—it invites attention, reflection, and response. Visibility reminds us regularly if what we are doing is working. In sports there is a scoreboard and no doubt about who is winning
- [To live a long time](https://conorneill.com/2025/03/25/to-live-a-long-time/) - You need to love living. ...and most people don't figure out how to love living. I myself have struggled to find a way to love the state of being alive. During Covid I came across an Indian guru called Sadhguru... in one of his talks he spoke about 3 types of people: fools, smart and
- [Consistency over 1 week changes nothing, over 10 years changes everything](https://conorneill.com/2025/03/23/consistency-over-1-week-changes-nothing-over-10-years-changes-everything/) - If you are going to make any change in your life - be it health, relationships, learning a language, learning a musical instrument - any practice habit that you can only sustain for a week will lead to no change in your life. Any practice habit that you can sustain for a 10 year period
- [The Fast Friends Protocol](https://conorneill.com/2025/03/13/the-fast-friends-protocol/) - I had the privilege to meet Professor Elizabeth Dunn at the WOBI business leaders conference in Madrid. She was the first to share this resource with me. To fall in love with anyone, do this... How can you develop deep relationships with other human beings? Over 50 years ago Arthur Aron fell rapidly in love
- [You will be the Same Person in 5 years... Except for 2 things](https://conorneill.com/2025/03/03/you-will-be-the-same-person-in-5-years-except-for-2-things/) - "In five years, you’ll be the same person—except for what you learn and the relationships you build". This quote, often attributed to Charlie Jones, is a truth about life. Jones does not mean "passive" learning or "passive" networking... he emphasizes the need to be active in pursuit of ideas and active in engaging with inspiring
- [Marathons are run on the outside, but marathons are won on the inside](https://conorneill.com/2025/02/14/marathons-are-run-on-the-outside-but-marathons-are-won-on-the-inside/) - "Marathons are run in the outside, but marathons are won on the inside" Carlos Escario Running a marathon isn’t just about the miles. The physical challenge is 42 km, but where the effort that really defines success happens is inside—the inner game of mental strength, self-belief, and resilience. The physical side matters: aerobic training, long
- [Conor's Camera & Audio Kit for Vlogging](https://conorneill.com/2018/11/06/conors-camera-audio-kit-for-vlogging/) - I've had a few people asking me for specific details on the kit I use to make videos for my YouTube Channel. The most basic videos, I make with my iPhone 7. Enter photo app, selfie mode, hit video and talk. My friend Seb Lora has over 220K youtube subscribers and does most of his
- [The hidden danger of "I am fine now"](https://conorneill.com/2025/01/23/the-hidden-danger-of-i-am-fine-now/) - Often when I ask a leader if they have a coach, or are seeking training, the answer is something along the lines of "I don't need a coach… I am fine now". This is a dangerous approach. The farmer doesn't wait for winter to repair the roof. The farmer doesn't wait for winter to sew
- [Set Clear Intentions for 2025: My own Process... and my Intention](https://conorneill.com/2025/01/19/set-clear-intentions-for-2025-my-own-process-and-my-intention/) - If I was to try to summarize all of my leadership teachings down into one word, the word would be "Intentional". I teach leaders to be intentional: to get crystal clear on who they are, where they are going, with whom and why. In communications I teach leaders to clarify their "Point X" - a
- [Your Top 5 Videos of 2024](https://conorneill.com/2024/12/29/your-top-5-videos-of-2024/) - These are your top 5 most watched videos of 2024. The channel has grown by 75.5K subscribers to 407,454 and there have been 3,241,918 views of the channel. Thank you to each of you who watched, shared, commented and sent questions - it all motivates me to keep pulling out the camera and sharing what
- [23 lessons on Life from David Ogilvy](https://conorneill.com/2024/12/27/23-lessons-on-life-from-david-ogilvy/) - David Ogilvy is often hailed as the “Father of Advertising”. His lessons apply beyond advertising. His thoughts focus on clarity, creativity, and connection. These 23 ideas are simple, timeless, and effective. His book Confessions of an Advertising Man is a book on advertising. His book Ogilvy on Advertising is a general commentary on advertising. His book The Unpublished David Ogilvy publishes selections
- [On taking Intelligent Action and Improving your Intuition](https://conorneill.com/2024/12/16/on-taking-intelligent-action-and-improving-your-intuition/) - An update on last week's video "Life Rewards Action more than Intelligence" (that went viral with over 170,000 views in the first 10 days). There were a lot of comments... many were positive and encouraging... but there were a range of questions/concerns that "dumb action" might be worse than none at all... this video responds
- [Managing Oneself](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/05/managing-oneself/) - Companies today aren't managing your career. You must be your own HR guru. That means it's up to you to identify your place in the world and know when to change course. It's up to you to keep yourself engaged and productive. This is the premise of Peter Drucker's 2005 HBR article "Managing Oneself". Peter Drucker asks
- [AI tools: You should try Google Notebook LLM](https://conorneill.com/2024/12/05/ai-tools-you-should-try-google-notebook-llm/) - Here's an AI tool that I think you should definitely try. It was recommended to me by my friend Severin Sorenson, host of the Arete podcast, author of 4 books on using AI in business (and my go-to expert on the world of AI tools, better prompts, image creation). https://notebooklm.google What does it do? Google
- [Life rewards Action, not Intelligence (video)](https://conorneill.com/2024/12/05/life-rewards-action-not-intelligence-video/) - Taking action consistently outweighs merely having the potential to act. The speaker reflects on how they once equated doing well in school with succeeding in life, only to learn that real-world success comes from initiative and execution, not just intelligence or talent. Through life experiences, they discovered that waiting for the perfect moment or ideal
- [To Achieve Important Goals… You Need 3 Ingredients…](https://conorneill.com/2024/09/23/to-achieve-important-goals-you-need-3-ingredients/) - We've just recently seen the Paris 2024 Olympics and then the Paralympics.It is noticeable how each athlete takes great care to be in the right mental state for high performance. During the TV interviews, it was clear to me that athletes at this level learnt to have positive stories about their efforts and their results.If
- [Why CEOs seek Coaching: the 7 most important reasons](https://conorneill.com/2024/09/08/why-ceos-seek-coaching-the-7-most-important-reasons/) - A Stanford Business School survey found that 51% of CEOs report using coaching. The study involved 200 CEOs of North American public and private companies. A report from Personnel Today noted that 51% of organisations regularly use coaching services. According to the survey, coaching is being used: to build on good performance (23%) improve poor
- [Poem: I Counted My Years](https://conorneill.com/2024/07/13/poem-i-counted-my-years/) - Poem: I Counted My Years by Mario de Andrade, Brazil 1893-1945 I counted my years and found that I have less time to livefrom here on than I have lived up to now. I feel like that child who won a packet of sweets:he ate the first with pleasure,but when he realized that there were
- [The Quickest (Research based) Path to Happiness... to Give or to Receive?](https://conorneill.com/2024/07/04/the-quickest-research-based-path-to-happiness-to-give-or-to-receive/) - This week's video shares some psychological research on the happiness impact of getting $5 for yourself, or getting $5 that you must spend on someone else. Our perception is very different from the reality. Subjects predicted that getting $5 for themselves would make them happier. Subject's lived experience shows it is the opposite. Dunn et
- [Learn to Disappoint others... so you Don't disappoint yourself](https://conorneill.com/2024/06/26/learn-to-disappoint-others-so-you-dont-disappoint-yourself/) - This is a harsh quote, but as I move through life and spend time with those who have achieved the things that most matter to them... I discover that they have an incredible ability to focus. My father commented that he finds that leaders have 3 types of activities on their calendars: vital, important and
- [Rockefeller’s Path to Wealth: Listening, Reflection and Good Decisions](https://conorneill.com/2024/06/10/rockefellers-path-to-wealth-listening-reflection-and-good-decisions/) - How did Rockefeller make his fortune? Listening, thinking and reflecting... and a few good decisions Thinking work vs labour work - thinking work doesn’t look like work… it looks like slacking. I, and many around me, need to shift my idea of what "time-wasting" looks like and what actually is valuable. Rockefeller didn’t dig wells…
- [Retreat Locations near Barcelona](https://conorneill.com/2018/09/13/retreat-locations-near-barcelona/) - I have been on and led many corporate and group retreats over the last 16 years around Barcelona. This blog post serves primarily as a reminder for myself of some of the great locations that I have used. (I will be adding to this post over time, so bookmark it and come back regularly when
- [People are Different... Finding your IKIGAI](https://conorneill.com/2024/05/13/people-are-different-finding-your-ikigai/) - Finding your IKIGAI. IKIGAI is a Japanese concept meaning “A Reason for Being” People are different. Don't try to be the same, or play the same game as other people. Find your strengths and play your own game. The 4 Elements of your IKIGAI IKIGAI is the union of 4 components of your life: What
- [Conor's Guide to Barcelona](https://conorneill.com/2016/11/04/barcelona-videos/) - "What should I do?, where should I eat?, where should I stay?... in Barcelona." I wrote this post after answering this question hundreds of times... There are 8 sections to this article: Conor's very short history of Barcelona Barcelona in Videos Stuff to do in Barcelona with kids My favourite Barcelona sights The Big Barcelona
- [What do you do when you have a spare 30 minutes?](https://conorneill.com/2024/04/07/what-do-you-do-when-you-have-a-spare-30-minutes/) - Many "achievement-oriented" individuals do the next task... but Stephen Covey says there is a better way... If you liked this post, you will also like Getting your Life in order or Build Strong Foundations.
- [How do I learn to Speak Clearly and Powerfully without Nerves?](https://conorneill.com/2024/04/03/how-do-i-learn-to-speak-clearly-and-powerfully-without-nerves/) - This was a response to a student's question about handling nerves while speaking in public... Dear writer Thank you for your contribution to the program and the positive impact you have had on so many of your fellow classmates. You mention that you find it difficult to remain composed and not become overwhelmed by nerves
- [Do you have your Dream Job today? (are you searching?)](https://conorneill.com/2024/03/25/do-you-have-your-dream-job-today-are-you-searching/) - Jim Rohn once asked a lady "is the work you are doing providing for your family, and giving you the growth and challenge you want?" "...No..." and Jim asked "How much time are you searching for the opportunity that will?" Finding is reserved for those who search. I hope you love the opportunity you are
- [Powerful Coaching Questions: 6 Types of Questions that Great Coaches use](https://conorneill.com/2024/03/04/powerful-coaching-questions-6-types-of-questions-that-great-coaches-use/) - 6 Types of coaching questions: G. R. E. A. S. E. Goals, Responsibility, Explore, Action, Situation, Engage Responsibly with Life A note on what we are exploring in each of these question categories: Set goals This is where almost all coaching conversations begin. The simplest form of the question is "What do you want?" If
- [Addiction and Procrastination](https://conorneill.com/2024/01/29/addiction-and-procrastination/) - "Most people I know have problems with Internet addiction" Paul Graham, writing in 2010. Paul Graham wrote an essay on "Addiction" back in 2010. It is even more relevant today, 14 years later. "Progress" Everything that is good... has been developed by humans and technology to get steadily better... at capturing and holding our attention.
- [My Top 3 Linkedin Videos from 2023](https://conorneill.com/2024/01/14/my-top-3-linkedin-videos-from-2023/) - The top 5 most viewed/shared videos that I have posted on Linkedin in 2023 are the following: First, with 82,667 views "It is not the mountain in front of you that will wear you out; it is the pebble in your shoe" Muhammad Ali Take great care to not accumulate pebbles in your shoe... They
- [21 Lessons From Warren Buffett](https://conorneill.com/2024/01/01/21-lessons-from-warren-buffett/) - David Senra of Founders Podcast recently shared a summary list of lessons from Warren Buffett which I found valuable: Big opportunities come infrequently. When it’s raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble. A funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it. The truly
- [Amazon Staff Meetings: "No Powerpoint"](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/30/amazon-staff-meetings-no-powerpoint/) - "We have study hall at the beginning of our meetings." says Jeff Bezos. Staff meetings at Amazon begin with 30 minutes of silent reading. Powerpoint is easy for presenter, hard for audience "The traditional kind of corporate meeting starts with a presentation. Somebody gets up in front of the room and presents with a powerpoint
- [57 Lessons from Charlie Munger](https://conorneill.com/2023/12/10/57-lessons-from-charlie-munger/) - I so loved this list of 57 lessons from Charlie Munger, shared by David Senra of Founders Popcast, that I've shared the tweet and the full list here on the blog. I'm a fan of the Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger school of simple, direct, pithy wisdom ;-) If you like lists, my most popular
- [Jim Collin's 7 Questions for (Young) Leaders](https://conorneill.com/2023/12/08/jim-collins-7-questions-for-young-leaders/) - In 2012 and 2013, Jim had the honor to spend 2 years teaching at West Point. He came away from the experience inspired by the young women and men he had met, and learned from. In 2015, he consolidated his reflections into a talk for the Global Leadership Summit, organised into seven questions. Jim Collin's
- [12 Lessons on Content Creation](https://conorneill.com/2023/12/07/12-lessons-on-content-creation/) - One subject close to my heart, and appearing regularly on this blog and on my youtube channel - is the subject of how to keep creating for the long term. I found this interview and the lessons of value. From junior Doctor to 5 Million Subscribers Ali Abdaal finished first in his class at Cambridge,
- ["If You Can Do Your Job From Home, Be Scared."](https://conorneill.com/2023/12/01/if-you-can-do-your-job-from-home-be-scared/) - "If You Can Do Your Job From Home, Be Scared. Be Very Scared... Put on a shirt and get into the office." Scott Galloway Working from home is dangerous, especially for young workers... "Offices are where young professionals establish relationships with mentors, colleagues, and mates." If you are young and ambitious, get to the office.
- [The 3 Essential Skills for Being Human](https://conorneill.com/2023/11/22/the-3-essential-skills-for-being-human/) - David Brooks is a columnist at the New York Times. His recent column "The Essential Skills for Being Human" has inspired this week's video and post. I loved his book "The Social Animal" - which is a novel-like story about the lives of 2 people and how their values and actions shape their lives. It
- [Every Worthwhile Goal requires Sacrifice](https://conorneill.com/2023/11/19/every-worthwhile-goal-requires-sacrifice/) - One of the lessons I took from ancient myth: Heroes always sacrifice something: Odin - his eye for wisdom, Thir - his hand to chain the wolf of chaos, Abraham - his son, to end all sacrifice of sons... There are few shortcuts for the most important things in our lives - health, relationships, a
- [The Greatest Distance in the Universe](https://conorneill.com/2023/11/15/the-greatest-distance-in-the-universe/) - The greatest distance in the universe... is within us. It is the distance between our potential and our actual performance. When we are young, we have so much potential: talents, dreams, and capabilities. Most of these possibilities remain just that – potential, unmanifested and untapped. It is horrible to look at the chasm between what
- [Gain the power of Emotionally Intelligent Negotiation](https://conorneill.com/2023/11/02/gain-the-power-of-emotionally-intelligent-negotiation/) - Tony Anagor, a long time friend and fellow teacher at IESE Business School, is a great source of wisdom on negotiation. A great start to understanding Tony's work is his article: The 7 Principles of Powerful Negotiation. Over the 18 years that I have known Tony he has consistently been able to engage with me
- [You can't want it more than they do](https://conorneill.com/2023/10/15/you-cant-want-it-more-than-they-do/) - If you want to lead people, you need them to want what you want. Iris H was an MBA student at IESE a few years back, today a senior figure in Investment Banking. I recently discovered her blog. A recent post struck a chord with me: You can't want it more... 3 Psychological Needs Self-Determination
- [Without a Goal, you can't Score](https://conorneill.com/2023/09/05/without-a-goal-you-cant-score/) - "without a goal, you can't score" ...and you are probably somewhat de-motivated... In sports, the goal is very clear. In football - a 24ft by 8ft steel or aluminium frame with a net... so you can clearly see if the ball goes in. In sports, the victory condition is very clear... more goals than the
- [Active Patience vs Passive Patience](https://conorneill.com/2023/07/31/active-patience-vs-passive-patience/) - There is an old story of a person trapped on the roof of a building as floodwaters are rising. A boat passes and the occupants shout "come down, we'll take you to safety". The person says "No, God will save me". Another boat passes. The occupants shout "come down, we'll take you to safety" The
- [Active vs Passive Patience](https://conorneill.com/2023/07/09/active-vs-passive-patience/) - A couple of years ago, I wrote about the life strategy of "Stand in the Traffic". Shane Parrish in a recent Farnham Street newsletter item reminded me of the concept. His framing of the concept is "Active Patience". If you've not read about "Stand in the Traffic" as a life strategy, check out the original
- [A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes](https://conorneill.com/2023/07/07/a-deep-dive-into-jungian-archetypes/) - Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who made significant contributions to our understanding of the human psyche. He was a former student and colleague of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, but they eventually parted ways due to major disagreements in their theories. Carl Jung devoted his life to studying the
- [There are no solutions, only trade-offs.](https://conorneill.com/2023/06/08/17276/) - "CEOs are in the business of making decisions" Sam Reese, Vistage CEO I've been reflecting this week on a quote from Economist Thomas Sowell "There are no solutions, only trade-offs." I work with CEOs. They take decisions. They feel responsible for the consequences of these decisions. They often wait to find a "perfect solution" rather
- [Being a good manager (of yourself)](https://conorneill.com/2023/05/31/being-a-good-manager-of-yourself/) - I've met some excellent business managers... who are extremely poor managers of their own life. They get results. They support others. They build capable, effective teams. Their business grows. ...but they are not joyful. They are not waking up motivated each day. They are not finding themselves energised through the day by the activities, people
- [Exceptional Results](https://conorneill.com/2023/05/12/exceptional-results/) - "Sometimes all you need for exceptional results is average effort repeated for an above-average amount of time." James Clear Consistency beats brilliance. The 20 mile march. Daily progress. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step... and you'll reach it within a year if you go for 3 miles a day. I've
- [Leading a Business: The 3+1 Roles of the CEO](https://conorneill.com/2023/04/27/leading-a-business-the-31-roles-of-the-ceo/) - We had an event this week in Madrid with Dan Wertenberg, a Vistage Chair from the USA as the speaker. What is the Role of the CEO? He shared an interactive and valuable 90 minute session with the gathered CEOs about the 3+1 roles of the CEO. Chief Strategy Officer Chief Team Builder Chief Sales
- [Cynicism is a Choice... and so is Hope](https://conorneill.com/2023/04/02/cynicism-is-a-choice-and-so-is-hope/) - Bad stuff happens. Bad actors exist. Decent people do bad things. Bad people do their things. Nature does it's thing... storms, snow and clouds. It can look pretty bleak some days. The news can seem to be a constant flow of disasters, invasions, road accidents, kidnappings and domestic violence. (This is my summary of the
- [Most people prefer a problem they can't fix to a solution they don't like](https://conorneill.com/2023/03/31/most-people-prefer-a-problem-they-cant-fix-to-a-solution-they-dont-like/) - "Most people prefer a problem they can't fix to a solution they don't like" Lee Thayer This sentence is mad.... but there is a certain truth to it. Lee Thayer is the author of several books on the practice of Leadership. He was a big proponent of working to integrate thinking, being and doing into
- [How to Start a Speech](https://conorneill.com/2023/03/27/how-to-start-a-speech/) - My single most widely watched video ever on youtube is "How to Start a Speech". The opening line of the video is: "What are the first words you should say in a speech?" In today's busy, distraction-filed world... you have a few seconds at the beginning of any speech (youtube video, tiktok, instagram etc) to
- [The Importance of Persistence... The Ant Philosophy](https://conorneill.com/2023/03/21/the-importance-of-persistence-the-ant-philosophy/) - Persistence is one of the most important qualities that a person can possess. It is the ability to persevere, to keep going even in the face of obstacles and setbacks. In life, success often depends on persistence more than anything else. In this video: on Ants and Obstacles... they just keep going Rivers... they just
- [Reputation for getting up early = you can stay in bed all day](https://conorneill.com/2023/03/12/reputation-for-getting-up-early-you-can-stay-in-bed-all-day/) - Reputation... "the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone"; "a widespread belief that someone or something has a particular characteristic." Your reputation shapes how people see you. "A man with a reputation for getting up early can stay in bed all day" Irish proverb The reputation you have shapes how everything you do
- [How to make Behaviour Change Stick](https://conorneill.com/2023/01/16/how-to-make-behaviour-change-stick/) - It's January. New year is a time for reflection on how life is going... and often to make changes. Why does behaviour change fail? Here are 3 reasons why I see people fail at behaviour change: Lack of Clarity: They have a vague sense of the desire to change, but no clarity around exactly what
- [Getting your Life in order](https://conorneill.com/2023/01/08/getting-your-life-in-order/) - Stutz is a documentary following the psychotherapy process of Dr Stutz who had worked with comedian and actor Jonah Hill over many years. Together they share personal stories and specific tools that have helped Jonah in his therapy process over the past decade. On Netflix here: Stutz (2022) My notes from Stutz, the documentary "I
- ["The Resistance" Steven Pressfield](https://conorneill.com/2016/06/22/the-lunchpail-manifesto-steven-pressfield/) - "What ails you and me has nothing to do with being sick or being wrong. What ails us is that we are living our lives as amateurs" Steven Pressfield I have often reread the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. When you create real art, you will face "The Resistance". Any creation of
- [Your Brain on Dopamine: Andrew Huberman with Dr Anna Lembke](https://conorneill.com/2023/01/06/your-brain-on-dopamine-andrew-huberman-with-dr-anna-lembke/) - "Normal life" (in today's society) doesn't provide enough stimulus for many people. We become addicts because life is "boring". All of our survival needs are met. We don't have stuff that we "have" to do... so we make up adventures ("friction"). "I get bored easily." What's wrong with me? Nothing... your brain is not suited
- [The need for Constant Renewal](https://conorneill.com/2023/01/01/the-need-for-constant-renewal/) - Welcome to 2023 ;-) "I'm doing fine now"... is not enough - We need Constant Renewal I meet many people in my role as a CEO coach, as a teacher, as the leader of Vistage in Spain... and I often hear the words "I'm doing fine now." They don't need a coach, a mentor, support...
- [The power of Open AI](https://conorneill.com/2022/12/04/the-power-of-open-ai/) - I was flying home from Bilbao on friday night, and my flight was delayed for 5 hours. I spent some time playing with the latest iteration of Open AI, and the OpenAI Image generator. Go and play with it now. It is important that you understand the power of the current generation of AI tools.
- [Listen to the teaching, not to the teacher](https://conorneill.com/2022/11/28/listen-to-the-teaching-not-to-the-teacher/) - "Listen to the teaching, not to the teacher" I heard this quote in Washington from George Gan. I have had the privilege to teach together on the EO Global Leadership Academy with George since 2015. I have always listened more to teachers that inspire me, and I have often ignored lessons when the teacher has
- [Developing a Vision Statement, step 1](https://conorneill.com/2019/08/27/finding-purpose-step-1/) - What is your Vision for your Life? Nobody else has a big plan for your life. They have their plans. This post addresses the question: how do I start creating a vision for my life? Nobody is coming to save you... no one is going to write this vision for you. The 2 Ingredients of
- [Don't Make This Mistake: Good Intentions but No Actions](https://conorneill.com/2022/11/14/dont-make-this-mistake-good-intentions-but-no-actions/) - "The road to hell is paved by good intentions" Be careful that your good intent results in good action. Only action changes our world. We see our Intentions, Others see our Actions We should evaluate actions by their consequences, not their intentions. Soft intentions, often create unintended consequences. We judge ourselves by our intentions, others
- [How we spend our time](https://conorneill.com/2022/11/12/how-we-spend-our-time/) - The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) provides nationally representative estimates of how, where, and with whom Americans spend their time, and is the only federal survey providing data on the full range of nonmarket activities, from childcare to volunteering. Recently I came across a series of charts shared by Sahil Bloom about how we spend
- [You can’t win a marathon by sprinting](https://conorneill.com/2021/04/26/you-cant-win-a-marathon-by-sprinting/) - (You can’t even complete a marathon if you are sprinting) Set your pace in accordance with the distance A long and fulfilling career is like a marathon. We so overestimate what we can do in a day, and underestimate what we achieve in a year. “Everything important in Life takes time” Tom Peters In order
- [How To Handle The Painful Aspects Of Leadership During Economic Recession](https://conorneill.com/2022/10/13/how-to-handle-the-painful-aspects-of-leadership-during-economic-recession/) - I get a lot of value out of the Arete coach podcast run by Severin Sorensen, who has a background as a CEO and then as a Vistage CEO group mentor and coach (Chair). I was interviewed by Severin in May 2021 for episode 1037 on his podcast: Arete Coach Podcast 1037 Conor Neill "Powerful
- [Why People Take Action](https://conorneill.com/2022/10/11/why-people-take-action/) - There are two things I need to believe if I am to take action: Is it worth it? (Rewards) Can I do it? (Confidence) Dan Sullivan says that "Selling is getting someone intellectually engaged in a future result that is good for them and getting them to emotionally commit to take action to achieve that
- [Where opportunities come from](https://conorneill.com/2022/10/09/where-opportunities-come-from/) - Jim Collins says that "Return on Luck" is one of the significant factors in extreme success. It is not that successful companies or people have more luck... it is how they follow through on their lucky breaks that makes the difference. One person might meet someone who could open a door of massive opportunity... but
- [3 Life and Leadership Lessons from my Father](https://conorneill.com/2022/10/03/3-life-and-leadership-lessons-from-my-father/) - My father is by all accounts a successful leader. There are 3 "superpowers" that he has that I think have helped him have such a positive effect in each of these environments. My father has had a long and successful career in business leading to a decade as the Chairman of the Board of Accenture,
- [3 things people need from a Leader](https://conorneill.com/2022/09/22/3-things-people-need-from-a-leader/) - Alan Mulally, ex-CEO of Ford, spoke to the Vistage membership recently. He shared his own life story, and his advice to CEOs on how to lead in these times of uncertainty. People need from Leaders: Who are you? Where are we going? Do you see me? I share what people are looking for in the
- [The $5 Challenge - A Stanford Strategy Story...](https://conorneill.com/2022/09/06/the-5-challenge-a-stanford-strategy-story/) - Back in 2009, Stanford prof Tina Seelig split students in the school of engineering into teams and gave them an envelope containing $5. Teams had only two hours to generate as much money as possible. Each team would get three minutes to present their project to the entire class. Here is Tina's own article explaining the experience: The $5
- [3 Rules of Great Questions](https://conorneill.com/2022/08/06/3-rules-of-great-questions/) - Most people don't ask good questions. I've been leading Vistage in Spain for the last 5 years. We coach CEOs to increase their effectiveness and improve their quality of life. We do this with questions. I've spent these last 5 years paying attention to how people use questions. I recently came across a thread on
- [Making Committed Decisions](https://conorneill.com/2022/07/17/making-committed-decisions/) - ...is much better than making "correct" decisions On making Committed Decisions... A committed decision is much more powerful than a "correct" decision. A committed decision takes full responsibility. A committed decision knows that there are risks and challenges that you will have to find a way to overcome. A committed decision changes your life. More
- [Are you overwhelmed with problems?](https://conorneill.com/2022/07/17/are-you-overwhelmed-with-problems/) - Are you overwhelmed with the weight of the world? Are too many problems weighing you down and making life feel heavy? Are you tired? I heard this story on the Tim Ferriss podcast recently, and I found it quite profound for such a seemingly "simple" story. It reminds me of another video that I made
- [Build Strong Foundations](https://conorneill.com/2022/06/22/build-strong-foundations/) - Build Strong Foundations before you grow higher. Are you investing in your own Foundations - or are you building the house of your life on sand? Leadership coach Luis Soares shared the story in the video below a few years ago on a leadership retreat for Vistage Spain. There are two metaphors in the video:
- [Be careful of Lazy thinking](https://conorneill.com/2022/06/14/be-careful-of-lazy-thinking/) - We have a wonderful capacity to mess up our lives through lazy or fantasy thinking. We make blanket black and white statements... rather than seeking the shades of grey. “I hate my job” -> what parts exactly? Life is richer than black and white. You don't hate every single part, activity, person in your job...
- [Humanistic Management, Xavier Marcet](https://conorneill.com/2022/06/10/humanistic-management-xavier-marcet/) - This week we had Xavier Marcet as the keynote speaker for our anual Vistage all-member event on the subject of Humanistic Management. Xavier Marcet has a regular column in the la Vanguardia newspaper that regularly gets up to a million views. He shares thoughts about "humanistic management" and has published 3 books - the last
- [Days vs Years](https://conorneill.com/2022/06/08/days-vs-years/) - Our emotional experience of life can depend on the time horizon we choose to look at our lives. If you look at the progress of your life each day, there are many wild swings. If you look at the progress of your life over longer time horizons, the wild swings blur into the background and
- [Serendipity](https://conorneill.com/2022/06/07/serendipity/) - Definition: finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for Last weekend, I asked my family a question: "what is your favourite word?" My wife had 3 favourites. One of those words is "serendipity". Side note: My 6 year old had one favourite word. "Love". She is a genius IMHO. This week several events occurred where
- [Webinar Recording: How Leaders Network](https://conorneill.com/2021/02/16/qa-from-webinar-how-leaders-network-for-iese-business-school-alumni-learning-program/) - Webinar Recording: How Leaders Network for IESE Business School Alumni Learning Program Here is the full recording of the How Leaders Network webinar from February 9th for the IESE Alumni community. We had 520 people connected to the zoom call, and some great questions. We didn't get round to answering all of the questions, so
- [I know what I want to do, so why don't I do it?](https://conorneill.com/2019/12/24/i-know-what-i-want-to-do-so-why-dont-i-do-it/) - These are my notes from reading the short article Strategy and the Fat Smoker by David Maister. As we come up to the season of new year's resolutions, I took some time to reflect on what it takes to make change happen in our lives, and in our businesses. David Maister is a former Harvard
- [I've never met a rich optimist](https://conorneill.com/2022/06/02/ive-never-met-a-rich-optimist/) - "I've never met a rich optimist"Russell Kane I heard this quote this morning on the High Performance podcast, and it made me stop and reflect. I was an optimist for the first 40 years of life... and I'm working hard to change... Optimism is good for happiness, but not for taking disciplined, difficult actions that
- [The 3 Key Moments of a Human Life (from Warren Rustand)](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/25/the-3-key-moments-of-a-human-life-from-warren-rustand/) - Warren Rustand told me that there are 3 key moments in a human life (the photo is Warren with myself, Carlo and Fletch at the EO Global Leadership Academy in 2016). This video was made in Dubai during a trip there to work with a leading global company on their leadership. The 3 key moments
- [Set Goals for Direction, not for Destination](https://conorneill.com/2022/05/24/set-goals-for-direction-not-for-destination/) - Over 15 years ago, a book was written by Eduardo Ponset called "the formula for happiness". I don't remember the formula, but I do remember something that had great importance for me. One of the elements of the formula was a "B" for "busqueda" - the spanish word for "searching". The feeling you get when
- [Life Advice from a 70 year old...](https://conorneill.com/2022/05/17/life-advice-from-a-70-year-old/) - All taken from this post: 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known from Kevin Kelly, (thanks to my brother for sharing it with me a couple of weeks ago!). Kevin Kelly was the founding editor of Wired. He reached 70 last year and shared 103 bits of life advice. I find these lists often
- [7 Critical Elements of an Entrepreneurial Pitch](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/13/7-critical-elements-of-an-entrepreneurial-pitch/) - Here are 7 critical elements of an effective entrepreneur "Pitch" that works (video here on the blog): The 7 elements of a good entrepreneurial elevator pitch A good entrepreneurial elevator pitch will contain these 7 elements: description of the problem you solvethe individuals or groups that will benefitthe specific product or service you will deliverhow
- [Video: Dealing with Objections](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/12/dealing-with-objections/) - You finish your pitch and the customer says: "Your product is too expensive!". You arrive home, you're a few minutes late: your partner says "You are always late!". At a dirty plate left on the table: "you never wash the dishes!" What do you say in this moment? How do you handle objections? It is possible to take
- [Indra Nooyi “Leadership in Times of Crisis”](https://conorneill.com/2022/04/03/indra-nooyi-leadership-in-times-of-crisis/) - Yesterday I had the privilege of spending an hour with the former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo as she spoke with the global Vistage community. The title of her talk was “Leadership in Times of Crisis”. Indra shared her 5 “C”s of leadership in organisations: Competence - "you have to have at least one 'hip
- [Consistency... the key to Long Term Positive Impact](https://conorneill.com/2022/03/29/consistency-the-key-to-long-term-positive-impact/) - It is not what we do on our best day that will truly make an impact on the quality of our lives, it is the habit we can stick to on our worst day that will make a lasting difference. For the last 2 years, I have joined a strava monthly 100kms run challenge every
- ["It's not about you, it's about the audience"](https://conorneill.com/2022/03/01/its-not-about-you-its-about-the-audience/) - Lee Child is the multimillion selling author of the Jack Reacher series of novels. When Lee was 14, his drama school teacher changed his life. "It is not about you, it is about the audience". In a recent episode of the High Performance Podcast, author Lee Child spoke of the impact his drama teacher had
- [Conor Neill's TEDx Talk](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/11/tedx/) - In 2013, I had an opportunity to give a talk at TEDx University of Navarra in Pamplona. Here is the video and a transcript of my speech. Now over 4.2M views of this talk If you had 1000€ and you could invest that money in someone's future, who would you bet on? Is it yourself?
- ["No one is coming to save us"](https://conorneill.com/2022/02/17/no-one-is-coming-to-save-us/) - You can see my notes from Nando Parrado's speech that I heard twice back in 2009: Reflections on Nando Parrado, the real hero of the film "Alive" More on the Survivors of the Crash in the Andes Nando Parrado's book "Miracle in the Andes" was how I first came across the story of the crash
- [The Tyranny of Convenience](https://conorneill.com/2022/02/10/the-tyranny-of-convenience/) - Convenience makes things easy... but what is easy is not always whats most important, valuable or effective. We choose between the options we see, not all the options… we've got to be increasingly careful that we don't choose the path that is just easiest to see. Convenience food… is not health food. Tech companies work
- [Freedom is not an Empty Calendar](https://conorneill.com/2022/02/05/freedom-is-not-an-empty-calendar/) - What is freedom? What is it to achieve freedom in life? I spent many years thinking that "an empty calendar is freedom". Recently a coach had me rethink this perspective... an empty calendar is dangerous... it puts my life in the hands of my "lizard brain" ;-) What are you aiming at? Are you working
- [The Courage to be Rubbish](https://conorneill.com/2022/02/01/the-courage-to-be-rubbish/) - I get requests for advice from people starting youtube channels. My first piece of advice is "make bad videos". When you are starting out, don't aim for good... aim for done. If you make 1 "bad" video a week for 52 weeks... you will make many bad videos, but you will accidentally create a few
- [Redefining Failure](https://conorneill.com/2022/01/19/redefining-failure/) - "Living Safely is Dangerous"Nietzsche What is your relationship to success and failure? I have been reflecting these recent weeks about how I respond to "failure" - when things do not turn out as I hoped or wished. The video below shares my thinking about a better way of approaching failure in our lives. How I
- [Books read in 2021](https://conorneill.com/2022/01/09/books-read-in-2021/) - Currently Reading January 2022… Living in a Real Time world, Jim Selman. non-fiction. Loving this book that shares context and 6 tools for living and leading in times of rapid change… and how we will always now be in times of rapid change.Flowers For Algernon: A Modern Literary Classic (S.F. MASTERWORKS); By: Daniel Keyes -
- [Set Goals of Character and Ability, not of Achievement and Status](https://conorneill.com/2022/01/10/set-goals-of-character-and-ability-not-of-achievement-and-status/) - I've felt that I've been more anxious about life over the last week or two... and have been reflecting in my journal about what might have triggered these negative thoughts. As we begin the new year, I'm in a mix between anxiety about setting goals and feeling an urgent need to rapidly get started on
- [The most Powerful Paradoxes of Life](https://conorneill.com/2022/01/05/the-most-powerful-paradoxes-of-life/) - I loved this twitter thread from Sahil Bloom on life's great paradoxes. I believe that developing the mental ability to deal with the existence of paradox is an important part of becoming wise. Sahil's initial tweet... What is a Paradox? A paradox is two seemingly opposite things that seem impossible but are actually both true.
- [Choose to Take Responsibility](https://conorneill.com/2022/01/04/choose-to-take-responsibility/) - Welcome to 2022. A couple of weeks back I shared something that my father said to me over and over again when I was young. "It might be their fault, but its your problem". His point was always to take responsibility for what you yourself can actually control in any situation. Robbie van Persie shared
- [The 54 Skills Vital to the Future of Work (McKinsey)](https://conorneill.com/2021/12/30/the-54-skills-vital-to-the-future-of-work-mckinsey/) - Sustainability, AI and Digitalisation are three important strategic concerns for all businesses. Covid has accelerated this process of transformation. Some jobs will disappear, and new types of jobs will be created. What skills will keep us valuable? A recent McKinsey report looked at the human skills that will remain in high demand as organisations adapt
- [How to Stay Sane in Uncertainty](https://conorneill.com/2021/12/20/how-to-stay-sane-in-uncertainty/) - A month ago it felt like the Covid virus was losing its capacity to disrupt our well made plans… but along comes Omnicron and the maths change again. We are living in the era of predictable unpredictability. All plans are flexible and adaptable. It is a state of existence that puts great pressure on our
- [Errors of Omission: What are you not doing that you should be Doing?](https://conorneill.com/2021/12/13/errors-of-omission-what-are-you-not-doing-that-you-should-be-doing/) - Warren Buffett often says that he is less scared by the errors he has made than by the sheer enormity of all the opportunities that he never even saw as they passed him by. Your progress in life is far less linked to whether you execute perfectly on the things you actually act on, and
- [How to find Opportunities (increase your Luck)](https://conorneill.com/2021/12/05/how-to-find-opportunities-increase-your-luck/) - "Every opportunity is attached to a person. Opportunities do not float like clouds in the sky. They’re attached to people. If you’re looking for an opportunity — including one that has a financial payoff — you’re really looking for a person."Entrepreneur and investor Ben Casnocha, Source: James Clear’s (excellent!) weekly newsletter My life is an example
- [How to overcome your Fear and Get Important Stuff Done](https://conorneill.com/2021/12/01/how-to-overcome-your-fear-and-get-important-stuff-done/) - This week's video was inspired by a recent conversation that I hear with Dan Sullivan on the Strategic Coach podcast. He spoke about 2 elements of overcoming fear and beginning to make significant progress on the really important project in your life. In the video, two thinking tools to overcome fear and take action: Visualisation"Catastroph-ization"
- [On Staying Young, Being Resourceful and Hiring Great People](https://conorneill.com/2021/11/23/on-staying-young-being-resourceful-and-hiring-great-people/) - Three ideas that resonated with me this week: On staying young - make friends with people younger than youOn being resourceful - seek out and challenge yourself with constraintsOn hiring great people - the hiring machine... what would you search for? This video was made at Kilkea Castle where I have had the privilege of
- [13 Vital Leadership Capabilities for the Post-Covid Future](https://conorneill.com/2021/11/12/13-vital-leadership-capabilities-for-the-post-covid-future/) - Earlier this week I was part of the 6th International Coaching Symposium at IESE Business School. In the afternoon we heard from a panel of board members and senior HR leaders as they shared their experiences with coaching and integrating coaching into the development systems of their companies. I had the opportunity to ask the
- [Choose your Hard (...because in Life... it is all hard)](https://conorneill.com/2021/11/09/choose-your-hard-because-in-life-it-is-all-hard/) - I heard a recent Jordan Peterson video where he expounded on the concept "Choose your Hard". This video has some of my reflections on the choice. Choosing hard today makes a difference. Not choosing hard is a choice... and it has consequences. I love Pep Mari's wisdom around true commitment. I shared his 4 levels
- [How to ask Great Questions (and Listen Actively)](https://conorneill.com/2021/10/23/how-to-ask-great-questions-and-listen-actively/) - I've been on my first long distance travels for the last 2 years. I am in Montevideo, Uruguay this week teaching at IEEM Business School. I've been coming here for the last 12 years (last year was a virtual visit via zoom). Many of my classes this week finished with participants commenting on the importance
- [What do excellent CEOs do? (according to McKinsey research)](https://conorneill.com/2021/10/18/what-do-excellent-ceos-do-according-to-mckinsey-research/) - A company has only one ultimate decision maker: the CEO. The CEO is the only person in a company without peers. No other individual holds such a full and final responsibility for the company. The CEO is the most powerful and sought-after title in business, more influential than any other. The CEO takes the company’s
- [Great Strategy without Great People is nothing](https://conorneill.com/2021/10/10/great-strategy-without-great-people-is-nothing/) - Ideas + Capital + Talent = enduring great business. Ideas are everywhere, nothing special about an idea. Capital is plentiful for those who have proven themselves. Today there is so much capital sloshing around looking for moderate returns. The Scarce Resource… Talent, true talent… is rare. Talent isn’t potential. Talent is systematic repeated high performance
- [Three Examples of Ice-Breaker Speeches](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/24/three-examples-of-ice-breaker-speeches/) - "Tell me about yourself?" How do you respond to this most simple of questions? This is the question that starts many friendships, job interviews, professional relationships and team experiences. However, in many cases... the way that we answer ruins the possibility of creating something great. How do you answer this question? Andrew Dlugan provides an
- [How to Build an Entrepreneurial Dream Team](https://conorneill.com/2021/09/27/how-to-build-an-entrepreneurial-dream-team/) - As an entrepreneur, a CEO or business leader, one of your most important roles is to build a leadership team. Who do you need in the team for long term success? Who is on your Leadership Team? The video below clarifies the 8 profiles that are necessary for a business to start, scale up and
- [Improving your Strengths or Improving your Weaknesses](https://conorneill.com/2021/09/19/improving-your-strengths-or-improving-your-weaknesses/) - You cannot win the marathon by sprinting. The winner of the 100m in the Olympics might also win the 200m, but will never be competitive in the 10K... or marathon ...or rowing, or judo... Gold medal athletes focus on their strengths and work to amplify their strengths. Usain Bolt doesn't spend training time trying to
- [Deleting Instagram, Facebook and Twitter from my phone](https://conorneill.com/2021/09/18/deleting-instagram-facebook-and-twitter-from-my-phone/) - On returning from the summer holidays, iPhone Screen Time showed that I had used my phone for over 4 hours a day. I hated this idea. That 4 full hours each day in some way were glued to a small screen. There is plenty of facetime calls and zoom calls... but a large portion has
- [Stress, Pressure and Focussing on What you Actually Control](https://conorneill.com/2021/09/08/stress-pressure-and-focussing-on-what-you-actually-control/) - It has been a busy summer of high performance - in particular the Tokyo Olympics. There were 2 interviews with athletes that really struck me for the perspectives they were taking towards their performance and results. The video below shares these two healthy mental approaches to life. Pressure vs Stress The first interview was with
- [Learn something](https://conorneill.com/2021/08/29/learn-something/) - Author T.H. White on learning as a cure for sadness: "The best thing for being sad… is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you
- [Limiting Beliefs](https://conorneill.com/2021/07/31/limiting-beliefs/) - This is a list from Vered Kogan, Vistage Chair. Lots of our coaching work in Vistage involves helping leaders identify limitations in their beliefs that restrict their opportunities for personal and professional growth. What Are Limiting Beliefs? A limiting belief is an opinion about the world that stops you seeing some potential paths or resources
- [IESE Instagram Live: How Writing Helps your Career](https://conorneill.com/2021/07/15/iese-instagram-live-how-writing-helps-your-career/) - This is the recording of a session I did yesterday with IESE Business School on the topic of writing as a tool to help your career. In this context, writing is not so much about writing for magazines or in a blog... but writing to set goals, to stay focussed, to identify what is important,
- [What evidence would change your mind?](https://conorneill.com/2021/07/10/what-evidence-would-change-your-mind/) - I was listening to Shane Parrish interview Adam Grant on his knowledge project podcast last week. Adam was speaking of the loss of rationality in many public domains. Politics, gender, science, global warming, race relations… are all domains where it has become dangerous to ask questions or engage with open curiosity. As Adam was speaking
- [Personal Growth: Moving up the 15 Levels of Consciousness, from Dr David Hawkins](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/31/personal-growth-moving-up-the-15-levels-of-consciousness-from-dr-david-hawkins/) - How to Be that Person that People want to Know “The way to become that exciting person whom people want to know is very easy. We simply picture the kind of person we want to be and surrender all the negative feelings and blocks that prevent us from being that.” “Write down all your faults.
- [The 3 Approaches to Work](https://conorneill.com/2021/06/28/the-3-approaches-to-work/) - I recently heard Sadhguru share 3 ways that people approach life and work: Idiot - these people don't enjoy what they do each daySmart - these people have created a life where they do enjoy the activity and the people that they spend time with each dayGenius - these people have learnt to love what
- [Should I write out my speech?](https://conorneill.com/2021/06/19/should-i-write-out-my-speech/) - "On many occasions I have seen presenters who thought that displaying a great memory was more important than punching home a well-crafted message."Terry Neill This is a guest post by my father Terry Neill. It is an edited version of 2 emails that I was cc'ed into recently. Christmas 2019. We were in St Patrick’s
- [To speak well requires practice](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/10/to-speak-well-requires-practice/) - Public speaking is a learned skill. To speak well requires practice. The ability to speak confidently and persuasively in front of groups is a highly valuable asset. Increased practice leads to better performance in job interviews, proposal presentations, project team meetings and board meetings. The basic principles of persuasion were developed over hundreds of years
- [Video: 5 Aspects that Give you a Powerful Speaking Voice](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/14/video-5-aspects-that-give-you-a-powerful-speaking-voice/) - I have prepared a series of short videos for my IESE courses this year. This is a 3 minute video describing the 5 aspects of a powerful speaking voice. A powerful voice will transmit authority to your audience and allow them to engage with you as a credible leader. The five aspects of a
- [Lessons from Reid Hoffman, EO Conversation on Zoom](https://conorneill.com/2021/06/15/lessons-from-reid-hoffman-eo-conversation-on-zoom/) - I was on a zoom call today with Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn. Here’s my lessons from the call… How do we learn Entrepreneurship? The best way of learning entrepreneurship: play boardgames... Settlers of Catan is good - there is trading, there is ambiguity, there are multiple strategies. Chess is good but no ambiguity... we
- [The Ability to Pay Attention](https://conorneill.com/2021/06/10/the-ability-to-pay-attention/) - Whats the most important human capability for the next thirty years? The Ability to Pay Attention To hold your attention on what you decide is important. to stay focused as it becomes boring... and to stick with something through boredom to the insights that only emerge on the other side of boredom. Today I am
- [Stand in the Traffic](https://conorneill.com/2021/06/06/stand-in-the-traffic/) - The title of this blog comes from a session in a course that Professor Paris de l'Etraz teaches about Life. I met Paris at a dinner in Madrid 4 years ago hosted by another inspiring teacher. Stand in the Traffic: I love the simplicity of this life strategy. Whatever you want in life, there are
- [Reps vs Hours](https://conorneill.com/2021/05/30/reps-vs-hours/) - What matters most in the gym? The hours you spend or the reps on the weights? In the areas where you must be highly competent to succeed in your role: are you accumulating hours or reps? Do you just do your job or do you spend time practicing the important skills that make you effective?
- [Uncommon sense](https://conorneill.com/2021/03/23/uncommon-sense/) - Charlie Munger on uncommon sense... Competence - you can only be trusted as competent if you clearly understand the limits of your competence. The great danger of experts is they forget the limits of their expertise - “it is better to trust a man of 130 IQ who thinks he is 125 IQ, than to
- [5 Ways Successful People Increase their Impact](https://conorneill.com/2021/04/26/5-ways-successful-people-increase-their-impact/) - How do those who are successful go on and make a truly lasting impact? Focus (no athlete wins 100m and marathon)Time horizon (Jeff bezos handstand)Habits (little habits every day > big decisions once a decade)Love the Process/Plateau (bamboo - it doesn’t always look like progress)Connected Relationships (communications, trust) Check out the longer discussion of these
- [How to Stop people talking about Problems](https://conorneill.com/2015/10/25/we-love-to-talk-about-the-problem/) - We love to talk about the problem It drives me nuts when someone just wants to use me as a sounding board as they share their problems. I find it hard to listen to someone who just wants to tell me about the problem. They have a lot of energy and passion to describe their
- [How to Double your Sales to your Best Clients?](https://conorneill.com/2021/04/13/how-to-double-your-sales-to-your-best-clients/) - The title sounds a bit "salesy"… but that is what the video is about.My friend and colleague at Vistage, Harry Marsland, shared with me one of his secrets to build a successful marketing agency in the UK. He has 5 questions that he would ask to his favourite clients each year: Harry’s 5 Sales Questions
- [3 Lessons on Focus from Dandapani](https://conorneill.com/2021/03/30/3-lessons-on-focus-from-dandapani/) - I first met Dandapani at an Entrepreneurs Organisation event in Istanbul in 2012, I have since met him in Boston and then helped bring him to Barcelona to spend a day with our Entrepreneurs' Organisation chapter. Dandapani teaches some simple but highly important lessons about awareness and our mind, and how to be intentional about
- [Resourcefulness. Shifting to a Growth Mindset.](https://conorneill.com/2021/03/23/resourcefulness-shifting-to-a-growth-mindset/) - How to be Resourceful It is more valuable to be resourceful, than full of resources. It is more powerful to think in terms of possibilities, rather than what you could do with what you have now. Our imagination is an incredible gift, if we use it to imagine... not to find excuses. "Poverty is not
- [Subtraction](https://conorneill.com/2021/03/21/subtraction/) - Addition More, more, more... more projects, more goals, more connections... is the path to overwhelm. Subtraction Less, less, less... less projects, less goals, less connections... is the path to focus and renewal and energy. I heard Mathew McConnachy in an interview yesterday. He said that back 10 years ago he was a movie actor, he
- [On this Saint Patrick's Day...](https://conorneill.com/2021/03/17/on-this-saint-patricks-day/) - Happy Saint Patrick's day. There is an old Irish toast that I find poetic and moving. I'm sharing it here today on the occasion of Saint Patrick's day. It is all the more touching given that we have travelled few roads and met few distant friends in the last 12 months due to the Covid
- [4 ways of dealing with Anxiety](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/15/4-ways-of-dealing-with-anxiety/) - There are 4 ways of dealing with Anxiety Remove the source of anxiety - avoid the stress. This is a poor coping strategy. There is no growth in capability. There will always be a reduction of my performance levels when the stressor is present. Manage my level of anxiety - learn to auto-adjust down (relaxation
- [How to do the Most Important Work of your Life](https://conorneill.com/2021/03/13/how-to-do-the-most-important-work-of-your-life/) - I've been reviewing my purpose statement. I rewrote it earlier this year. The year of Covid shook up my routines and threw me out of balance. It took some discipline with mentors, coaches and my journal to get re-connected to why I get up in the morning. My purpose is "to inspire and challenge others
- [Leadership = Do the Next Right Thing](https://conorneill.com/2012/01/23/leadership-do-the-next-right-thing/) - Michael asks "What should you do when you don't know what to do?" In the times when he felt lost, out of his depth, uncertain, unsure whether he was the right person in the role... All the great moments of self-doubt that I know I share... His mentor's answer? "Do the next right thing." The
- [How to Create an Abundance Mindset](https://conorneill.com/2021/02/25/how-to-create-an-abundance-mindset/) - Our mindset creates our experience of life. With a poor mindset, my experience of life will suffer. With a better mindset, my experience of life will be of greater joy and resourcefulness. What is Mindset? Your mindset is your collection of beliefs that shape your thought habits. Thought habits affect how you think, what you
- [TED Education: What Aristotle and Joshua Bell can teach us about persuasion](https://conorneill.com/2013/01/14/ted-education-what-aristotle-and-joshua-bell-can-teach-us-about-persuasion/) - I wrote "Give a TED talk" on my bucket list 4 years ago, today I feel happy to see the idea come to fruition. It is not a TED Talk per-se, i.e. it is not up there on a stage, but in my mind almost better - a lesson from my class, and a concept
- [Poem: The Dash](https://conorneill.com/2021/02/20/poem-the-dash/) - My sister shared this poem with me many years ago as a powerful reflection on life. What is important about a person's life? The numbers, the material possessions... or something more... A reflection for a Friday afternoon. The Dash By Linda Ellis I read of a man who stood to speakAt the funeral of a
- [Poem: The Bridge Builder](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/21/poem-the-bridge-builder/) - This poem was shared by Warren Rustand during the Entrepreneurs' Organisation Leadership Academy 2016 course held in Washington last year. It was part of his description of why he spends so much time teaching. Update January 2021: Warren Rustand has published a book and I would recommend to any person who wishes to lead a
- [How your Brain responds to Stories, and why they are crucial for Leaders](https://conorneill.com/2021/02/18/how-your-brain-responds-to-stories-and-why-they-are-crucial-for-leaders/) - Once upon a time... Once upon a time there was data... and it didn't change the world. ...and then there were stories... Karen Eber has spent her career helping leaders develop the culture of their organisations. She has learn that stories are the foundation blocks of building culture. Further Story Resources What is a
- [Building a Successful Career: The PIE Model](https://conorneill.com/2021/02/17/building-a-successful-career-the-pie-model/) - It is not enough to just do great work to build a fulfilling career. In this short video I share the 3 elements of the PIE model for Career success ;-) https://youtu.be/W5lw8eWvc7k The PIE Model for Career Success Performance Impact Exposure
- [Leaders Must Develop 2 Skills in the People around Them](https://conorneill.com/2021/02/10/leaders-must-develop-2-skills-in-the-people-around-them/) - If you are a leader, you need to work on developing 2 skills in the people around you: Influence and Decision Making. https://youtu.be/1aUWItm9Lmk The Importance of Influence Skills Without the people around you learning how to influence others, they will always need your involvement to get anything done. Read more on Influence 18 Influence Methods
- [What is the fundamental characteristic of a leader?](https://conorneill.com/2021/01/20/what-is-the-fundamental-characteristic-of-a-leader/) - What makes a person into a leader? Charisma? No. Communication? No. Experience? No. They deserve a promotion because of past efforts? No. What ideas do you have? There is one characteristic without which you cannot be called a leader. Followers? Yes... but what do you need to have as a leader so that others actually
- [Exercise: How to Start a Speech](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/31/exercise-how-to-start-a-speech/) - How to Start a Speech How to start a speech. How do these five speakers capture your attention and engage you at the beginning of their talks? Watch the first minute of each speaker. How did they begin? What was the first word? What did this achieve? Which speaker is hardest to stop watching after 60 seconds?
- [7 Strategies to Stop Self-Sabotage and Reach your Potential](https://conorneill.com/2021/01/19/7-strategies-to-stop-self-sabotage-and-reach-your-potential/) - This is a guest post from Ronald Cain. Ronald taught English in Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe for ten years. Teaching has provided him with lifelong lessons about confidence. Over to Ronald... I was a shy child. I consider myself an introvert. I let this label define how I thought I should live my life. In
- [You Don’t have Time to Figure Everything Out on your Own](https://conorneill.com/2021/01/12/you-dont-have-time-to-figure-everything-out-on-your-own/) - Life is too short to figure everything out on your own. Humans spend the years from birth to 12 learning how to survive. Our parents have a vested interest in helping us develop the Stop there: we merely survive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4RJIk-eBkY We live in a highly complex society. There is intense competition for status in whatever
- [Books read in 2020](https://conorneill.com/2021/01/10/books-read-in-2020/) - A list of the books I have read during 2020. Currently Reading January 2021... Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity, Scott Galloway. non-fiction. Prof Galloway is a provocative thinker. He is not always right, but he takes strong positions and makes good arguments. Even when I disagree, his arguments help me clarify my beliefs and
- [Free your Mind: Writing a Journal.](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/01/free-your-mind-writing-a-journal/) - Would you like lower stress, increased focus, improved memory, faster learning? Sounds good? There is one simple 5 minute daily habit that can help. It will also make you a better communicator. It might be worth a test? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Niou-6HrqVo There are 3 major benefits of keeping a written journal. Writing slows down time The past
- [Reflect on the Past, Clarify the Future](https://conorneill.com/2021/01/01/reflect-on-the-past-clarify-the-future/) - The best leadership book is not one that you can buy. It is your own life, if well documented. Do you take time to document your life? Do you take time to look at your past year and get clear on where you are, and where you are going? Last year Covid-19 brought a lockdown
- [Breaking The Downward Spiral](https://conorneill.com/2020/12/26/breaking-the-downward-spiral/) - In golf, one poor shot can trigger a state of mind that leads to a run of poor shots. I hit my drive into the bunker. In frustration, I try a more difficult shot than I should, and put it in another bunker. I then try and hit it extra hard to reach the green
- [Don't just do something, sit there...](https://conorneill.com/2020/12/19/dont-just-do-something-sit-there/) - Some things require patience. "Don't just do something, sit there" Some things can't be rushed. Sometimes patience is necessary. I have a metaphor I use as an entrepreneur at challenging times in life. If you are travelling on a boat along a river, if the river is going the other direction, you are better pulling
- [Interview with New York Distance Learning Association](https://conorneill.com/2020/11/26/interview-with-new-york-distance-learning-association/) - I was interviewed by Thomas Capone of the New York Distance Learning Association yesterday and the video recording of our 55 minute conversation is now available on their website. About Thomas Capone, Director NYDLA Thomas A. Capone is CEO of MTP-USA, one of the fastest growing telecommunications companies in the United States. Servicing over 300 of
- [Everything important in life takes time](https://conorneill.com/2020/11/17/everything-important-in-life-takes-time/) - Be Persistent. Success takes time. Tom Peters often says that "Everything important in Life takes time". If you can start something and get it done ASAP, it probably is not that important. In order to plant the seeds for important things... you need to shift your time horizon to the long term. Building trusted Relationships...
- [Stress? There is no Stress.](https://conorneill.com/2020/11/11/stress-there-is-no-stress/) - "There is no stress" Warren Rustand Every year in November (except this year of Covid travel restriction) I have the privilege of teaching on the EO Global Leadership Academy together with Warren Rustand. Each year a debate starts. Warren says "there is no stress". 28 world leading entrepreneurs all disagree... and 6 days later, most
- [Preparing for Difficult Times: lessons from Toni Nadal](https://conorneill.com/2020/11/04/preparing-for-difficult-times-lessons-from-toni-nadal/) - This week I had the privilege of listening to Toni Nadal, coach of #1 tennis legend Rafa Nadal, share his story with the Vistage community. He spoke about his approach to helping Rafa prepare for difficult times. The central focus of Toni was removing all excuses from Rafa's mindset. How to Prepare for Difficult Times
- [Everything changes. Everything is connected. Pay attention.](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/14/everything-changes-everything-is-connected-pay-attention/) - The circle of Life. This is a guest post by Eric Ronning, father, husband and President of Channel Financial, a financial advisory business of which he is a co-founder. Over to Eric... The legacy of my Grandfather I have been exploring many of the same topics you speak of in your writings for about 11
- [The Power of Selective Ignorance](https://conorneill.com/2020/10/30/the-power-of-selective-ignorance/) - In the most recent edition of James Clear's weekly newsletter, he shared this gem on improving your quality of life. Be "Selectively Ignorant" Ignore topics that drain your attention. Unfollow people that drain your energy. Abandon projects that drain your time. Do not keep up with it all. The more selectively ignorant you become, the
- [How to Make People Feel Good about themselves](https://conorneill.com/2020/10/27/how-to-make-people-feel-good-about-themselves/) - I've had some tough days this year. I am not alone. Covid is a physical disease, but the wider impact will be on the mental health of the billions who have been hit by the economic shutdown. Who do you feel is struggling to keep things together? Every single one of us has incredible power
- [Entrepreneurship: 4 Keys to Identify a Great Business Opportunity (with Mathieu Carenzo)](https://conorneill.com/2020/10/13/entrepreneurship-4-keys-to-identify-a-great-business-opportunity-with-mathieu-carenzo/) - On a walk yesterday in the Perimola region of Catalunya, about 2 hours drive from Barcelona. We went on a hike up to the hermitage of Castell Llebre. My friend Mathieu Carenzo teaches Entrepreneurship at IESE Business School and is an early stage investor in many successful spanish startups, including some Unicorns. He shared 4
- [Our Brain is Teflon for the Positive, Velcro for the Negative](https://conorneill.com/2020/10/08/our-brain-is-teflon-for-the-positive-velcro-for-the-negative/) - Neuroscience based Habits for Happiness... There is a saying that I heard recently from Elsa Punset... "Our brain is teflon for the positive and velcro for the negative" It is a powerful metaphor. It is solidly grounded in psychological research. In good relationships the ratio of positive to negative comments is 7:1. 1 negative comment
- [Living in Fear or Living in Confidence](https://conorneill.com/2020/10/01/living-in-fear-or-living-in-confidence/) - There are two modes of dealing with our life: Living in Fear - the mode of seeking "Freedom from" and seeking validation for our past decisionsLiving in Confidence - the mode of clarifying "Freedom to" and making choices as a responsible being. Over the last 7 months, I have noticed that I have slipped into
- [Tom Peters 11 Lessons for Life (Right Now)](https://conorneill.com/2020/09/26/tom-peters-11-lessons-for-life-right-now/) - In an episode of internet procrastination, I came across this tweet... and it led me down a rabbit hole. Tom Peters, the Original Management Guru Tom Peters wrote the book "In Search of Excellence" back in 1983 and began a major shift in Business studies. In place of scientific management, business began to look at
- [Do you want my Feedback?](https://conorneill.com/2020/09/18/do-you-want-my-feedback/) - Yesterday, I had a coffee with my IESE Business School colleague Miquel Llado. We were celebrating his new book "Fall in Love with the Future" (available now in Spanish: Enamorarse del Futuro). Miquel's book shares valuable lessons on life and leadership from his career as CEO of Sara Lee, CEO of Bimbo, VP of Pepsico
- [What kind of Leadership do we need now?](https://conorneill.com/2020/09/14/what-kind-of-leadership-do-we-need-now/) - In his 30 years of asking this question, Wharton Business School Professor Stew Friedman has heard one word become increasingly common: Flexible Elements of Flexible Leadership What does it mean to be flexible as a leader? flexible adjective capable of bending easily without breaking; able to be easily modified to respond to altered circumstances. What context
- [A Good Life: Be Real, Be Whole, Be Innovative](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/15/a-good-life-be-real-be-whole-be-innovative/) - What kind of leadership do we need now? In his 30 years of asking this question, Dr Stew Friedman has heard one word become increasingly common: Flexible How to achieve Flexible Leadership? What do you think? What areas are clear, unclear for you? What action will you take?
- [Four Powerful Coaching Lessons from my Summer Tennis Teacher](https://conorneill.com/2020/09/09/four-powerful-coaching-lessons-from-my-summer-tennis-teacher/) - This summer I played a lot of tennis (for me): I played 5 hours each week. Initially, I played with my family, but then was encouraged to hire a tennis coach. I haven't had a tennis lesson since I was a kid. Rackets have evolved in the last 30 years and so have techniques. I
- [How to Lead Up](https://conorneill.com/2020/08/02/how-to-lead-up/) - Life 101: Develop competence. Build the discipline to finish small projects. Solve interesting problems. Help good clients succeed. Do lots of small good things for other people. Share the credit. Take the blame. Share your journey. Associate with good people. Help others realise they are capable of more than they think. Give them confidence. Lift
- [The 3 Levels of Employee](https://conorneill.com/2020/07/25/the-3-levels-of-employee/) - I've been reading about habits recently, and James Clear's book Atomic Habits and his regular newsletter have been a great source of practical ideas. If you want a review of what I have learnt, yesterday's livestream centred on the theme of Changing Habits. In a recent edition of James Clear's newsletter, he shared 3 levels
- [The 10 types of Business Innovation](https://conorneill.com/2020/07/20/the-10-types-of-business-innovation/) - A friend shared with me a wonderful resource on business innovation over on the Visual Capitalist website. I've share links to the original source at the bottom of this post, and a number of other valuable resources that can help with business innovation. I remember a lesson from my MBA. "...to remain profitable in the
- [The 10 Tasks of Adolescence & the 5 Basics of Parenting](https://conorneill.com/2020/07/06/the-10-tasks-of-adolescence-the-5-basics-of-parenting/) - This post is a summary of the MIT Raising Teens report which is available on the MIT website (links provided below the post). "An extraordinary body of research exists on the powerful ways in which parents and families make a difference in the lives of teens. Yet, little of this knowledge has been reaching the
- [4 Lessons Learnt on Entrepreneurship (plus 1 for life)](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/05/4-lessons-learnt-on-entrepreneurship-plus-1-for-life/) - You have to sell. Yes, you. You have to sell. You have to get good at it. (7 steps of the sales process, how to pitch a brilliant idea)You need lots of help. More than you can imagine. You need to learn to ask for it. (Ask better questions, 17 habits for a fulfilling life #13)Incremental
- [Persuasion or Manipulation?](https://conorneill.com/2020/06/27/persuasion-or-manipulation/) - Roger asked today: "Can you use too much persuasion?". My answer... What is Persuasion? Manipulation: I get you to do something that is of benefit to me.Persuasion: I get you to do something that is of benefit to you, and to me. If you liked this post, you will also like Develop your Communications Skills
- [How to Sell](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/27/the-sales-process-made-simple-by-blair-singer/) - "You either learn to sell, or you will always work for someone who has learnt to sell" This blog post is a summary of my notes on a session by Blair Singer on Sales. Your ability to selling has a major influence on your income, your promotions, your relationships and ultimately where you take your
- [12 Tips for Public Speaking](https://conorneill.com/2009/08/31/12-tips-for-public-speaking/) - I am currently preparing the next year IESE MBA managerial communications course material and put down some rough notes on some key tips that differentiate powerful speakers from the rest. Speak with an intent to move people to action. Know what you want your audience to do immediately after hearing your speech. If nobody does
- [Don't wish for less Problems: The Grain of Sand creates the Pearl](https://conorneill.com/2020/06/21/dont-wish-for-less-problems-the-grain-of-sand-creates-the-pearl/) - If an oyster keeps all the sand out of his shell, he lives a life of comfort. At the end of his life, you find a dead oyster... in an empty shell. If a grain of sand enters the oyster's shell, he loses his life of comfort. In order to protect himself from irritation, the
- [360 degree vision](https://conorneill.com/2020/06/08/360-degree-vision/) - I am listening to Mandy Hickson sharing her life story with Vistage this morning. Mandy was the second ever female pilot flying combat missions for the British military. She shared her dream as a young girl of flying fast jets, and all the obstacles that she needed to overcome to make that dream come true.
- [The CEO's Guide to Boards](https://conorneill.com/2020/06/03/the-ceos-guide-to-boards/) - Our Vistage Spain call today had "The Role of the Board" as our theme. This post gathers together some of the valuable resources shared by the group. The HBR Article Building Better Boards from May 2004 came highly recommended by the leaders of today's workshop, much of the content below comes from that article. What
- [Questions from Timoney Leadership Institute Webinar](https://conorneill.com/2020/05/27/questions-from-timoney-leadership-institute-webinar/) - On Tuesday 26th May I had the privilege of speaking with over 50 leaders across Ireland who are alumni of Timoney Leadership Institute. Timoney has had a great relationship with IESE Business School and many of their leadership programs are taught by IESE Business School faculty. This is a wide ranging conversation about leadership and
- [The Day you Lose your Curiosity...](https://conorneill.com/2020/05/26/the-day-you-lose-your-curiosity/) - "I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity."Eleanor Roosevelt The day you lose your curiosity, you have lost the best of our human capacities. You have lost the capacity to see things as they could be,
- [The CEO’s 7 Leadership Laws During Times of Uncertainty](https://conorneill.com/2020/05/26/the-ceos-7-leadership-laws-during-times-of-uncertainty/) - This article by Vistage CEO Sam Reese was originally published on the Vistage blog. Over his 35 year career as a business leader, Sam has led large and midsize organizations and has advised CEOs and key executives of companies all over the world. Over to Sam... The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges for leaders, but
- [Mid Life Crisis (How to live it now)](https://conorneill.com/2020/05/23/mid-life-crisis-how-to-live-it-now/) - Years ago I listen as a wise man in his late 80s shared this story of a human life. His challenge to us was that to be at peace in your 80s depends on how you live your 35-55 "mid life". There is an inevitable moment of crisis that comes in "mid life", sometime between
- [Word of Mouth marketing: The Case of Brompton Bikes](https://conorneill.com/2020/05/17/word-of-mouth-marketing-the-case-of-brompton-bikes/) - Here's a case of a product that has grown through word of mouth marketing: Brompton bikes. Our family have become big users of Brompton bikes over the last ten years. We have 3, and a range of child seat options so that the 4 of us can head into old town Barcelona on a weekend.
- [This, too, shall pass](https://conorneill.com/2020/05/13/this-too-shall-pass/) - According to legend, King Solomon shared this with a sultan who requested a sentence that would always be true, in good time and in bad. His answer: This, too, shall pass We are in quarantine here in Spain. A state of emergency. We are now in week 9, and happily there have been some relaxing
- [Entertaining Games for Zoom Calls](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/26/entertaining-games-for-zoom-calls/) - I've spent a lot of hours on video conferences over the last 6 weeks. I've run my company with Zoom, IESE faculty meetings through Zoom, webinars on zoom, family lunches and dinners with Zoom. Here are some of the entertaining and engaging options to add more fun and engagement to your zoom calls. Virtual Quiz
- [My notes from today's Sadhguru Session for EO](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/25/my-notes-from-todays-sadhguru-session-for-eo/) - These are my notes from the webinar that EO Coimbatore organised for today, 25th April. The livestream replay is at the bottom of this post. "When you are in fog, you don’t need inspiration… you need clarity" Sadhguru Don’t seek inspiration, seek clarity. Memory and Imagination - this is what we are suffering. Right now
- [Trust](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/17/trust/) - What is Trust? Trust is the foundation of strong relationships. Without trust, any relationship is weak. Trust is the willingness to rely on the actions of another person. In a relationship of trust, the trustor is willing to release control over the actions of the trustee. Trust has to be earned. It is not given.
- [The Law of Reciprocity works... if you give freely](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/19/the-law-of-reciprocity-works-if-you-give-freely/) - ...not if you give with expectation. So often, our gifts... are not gifts. They come with an obligation. This is not a gift... this is a transaction. Human beings are hardwired to act in a reciprocal manner - we give back what we receive. If we receive a kind action, we are almost compelled to
- [Stuart Lancaster - How to Be A Great Leader (of Rugby Teams)](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/15/stuart-lancaster-how-to-be-a-great-leader-of-rugby-teams/) - Just listening to Stuart Lancaster deliver a webinar for IIBN. He shared his path to head coach of the England rugby team, the hard blow of falling out of the home rugby world cup, and his current role as part of the leadership of Leinster rugby club. 10 Necessary Ingredients of a Great Leader Be
- [Easy and Certain](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/19/easy-and-certain/) - Seth Godin's blog post today is Easy and Certain. The lottery is easy. It is not certain, but it is easy. Many choose an MBA because it feels certain. It is not easy, but it feels certain. Once you've got the diploma on the wall... success is inevitable... There is a spanish word "chollo". "Un
- [How to Speak (from MIT)](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/12/how-to-speak-from-mit/) - By the end of the next 60 minutes you will have been exposed to a lot of ideas, some of which you will incorporate into your own repertoire, and they will ensure that you get the maximum opportunity to have your ideas valued and accepted by the people you speak with.Patrick Winston, MIT Patrick Winston's
- [The Hero's Journey... we are all living it right now](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/08/the-heros-journey-we-are-all-living-it-right-now/) - "We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us." Joseph Campbell Someone has shared the documentary film "Finding Joe" on YouTube. It is a fantastic introduction to the life's work of Joseph Campbell... who first articulated the common structure to mythological stories: The
- [Q&A from Webinar: How to Lead in Times of Great Uncertainty](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/07/qa-from-webinar-how-to-lead-in-times-of-great-uncertainty/) - I ran a webinar yesterday for IESE Business School. I answered 4 of the questions during the webinar, but there were a lot more questions that we didn't have time to cover in any depth. I've copied the questions here and will give my brief answer to each. How to Lead in times of Great
- [Webinar: How to Lead in Times of Great Uncertainty](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/06/webinar-how-to-lead-in-times-of-great-uncertainty/) - This event will be streamed live on the IESE Business School Linkedin Page here: https://www.linkedin.com/school/iese-business-school/ Monday April 6th 16:00 CET You can also follow live on youtube or on this blog post: How to Lead in times of Great Uncertainty What can I do personally to engage myself, my leadership team and the people throughout
- [Let's not go back to Normal...](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/03/lets-not-go-back-to-normal/) - My friend Tony, business owner, shares his reflections on how the quarantine is impacting his life... and how he has learnt that "doing nothing" is not doing nothing... there is power in sitting still. His big hope... that we do not return to "normal" after this. Tony is someone who has used this quarantine period
- [The 20 Mile March](https://conorneill.com/2020/04/01/the-20-mile-march/) - In these difficult times, this story about the 20 Mile March is my reminder of what to focus on... and how to stay in control of my life. I first heard this story from Jim Collins. He shares it in his book Good to Great. Here, I share my version of the story... and how
- [Physically Fit, when staying Inside](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/31/physically-fit-when-staying-inside/) - This is my morning routine… with my 4 year old doing her version at my side. It is just 15 minutes... but hits the whole body and gets you breathing fast ... Day 1 was really tough… my arms really sore the evening and next day… my back was stiff… from the change of exercise
- [Positive Leadership During Coronavirus/Covid-19 - Clarity, Commitment, Values](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/24/positive-leadership-during-coronavirus-covid-19-clarity-commitment-values/) - In this week's video: Two messages for leaders from day 8 of Quarantine in Barcelona: Tony Anagor - the importance of sharing positive encouragementWarren Rustand - leading from my own personal coreClarity of VisionCertainty of ActionValues We are on day 8 of Quarantine in Barcelona. I've been sharing my experiences of quarantine on youtube #1
- [If you lose your laugh, you lose everything](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/22/if-you-lose-your-laugh-you-lose-everything/) - These are my notes from the words of an Indian spiritual leader called Sadhguru, which I found positive, generous and calming. I had never heard of this man a few days ago... but have found his voice and his words a source of inspiration and clarity over the last 6 days. Here's the livestream that
- [YouTube Livestream | Saturday 21/3 17:00 CET](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/21/youtube-livestream-saturday-21-3-1700-cet/) - I'll be running a YouTube livestream today... my second effort... (first livestream effort is here) You can watch it here on the blog... or with more controls & chat available on YouTube here: YouTube livestream - Today at 17:00 CET, 16:00 UK/Ireland time - join and say hello 😉 Florian Mueck's Daily Q&A and then
- [The Top 5 Commencement Speeches](https://conorneill.com/2016/06/18/the-top-5-commencement-speeches/) - Note: with a series of additions over the years, this post is now 11 Commencement speeches that I love. Commencement speeches... the final words of wisdom that almost-graduates receive before heading out into the big world. These are important speeches. I've seen a lot of them... I have had the privilege of attending 2
- [Dealing with Coronavirus/COVID-19 Quarantine in Barcelona](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/17/dealing-with-coronavirus-covid-19-quarantine-in-barcelona/) - Happy Saint Patrick's Day We are living quarantine in Spain for the last 3 days. This is a strange Saint Patrick's day... no rivers greeen... no parades. I am at home with family in quarantine. How are things where you are? Stay safe and stay sane... Would love to hear from you on how you
- [How to Lead in Times of Great Uncertainty](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/12/how-to-lead-in-times-of-great-uncertainty/) - ...like today with COVID-19/Coronavirus affecting all aspects of our daily lives across the world. When there is a huge range of possible impacts in the short, medium or long term, how can leaders prepare and respond? Scenario Planning Today, it is impossible to predict the impact of COVID-19/Coronavirus on our societies, our people, our future
- [Keep Your Promises](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/11/keep-your-promises/) - I heard a tough question this morning (on a podcast). "Who is the least reliable person you know?" A powerful reflection... stop and have a think. Is it a friend? Is it a brother? Is it a parent? Is it you... to yourself? We live in a time of great uncertainty... coronavirus... globalization... robots taking
- [COVID19/Coronavirus - How can Small Business Leaders respond?](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/10/covid19-coronavirus-how-can-small-business-leaders-respond/) - We are seeing growth in COVID-19/Coronavirus infections around the world. Some facts about the disease. Unlike the flu, very young people do not seem to be at any increased risk from COVID-19.Risk appears to ramp up for people over age 50. Mortality rates are 0.6% to 1.5% in general population, 80-85% of cases are mild (which
- [I Can’t Focus.  How to Learn to Focus.](https://conorneill.com/2017/01/31/i-cant-focus-how-to-learn-to-focus/) - First understand the do-or-die importance of focus. "If you don’t learn to focus, you will have a shallow and unrewarding life without any meaningful achievements." Derek Sivers That is worth repeating. "A shallow and unrewarding life." That's bad. You Need to Learn to Focus So make it a priority. Yes it’s hard. The world is
- [How to find Purpose and Self Belief: The Hero's Journey](https://conorneill.com/2020/03/03/how-to-find-purpose-and-self-belief-the-heros-journey/) - Joseph Campbell's work has had a profound influence on me and on my life. The Hero's Journey are the steps that a mythical hero must take in order to complete the path to their purpose. There is no pain-free path... and it must be "chosen sacrifice" if it is to lead you towards self belief.
- [Great Games to play with Family](https://conorneill.com/2020/02/27/great-games-to-play-with-family/) - Games to play with family at home or on travels. First I share board games, then card games. These are games we play at home, and when we are on travels, waiting in airports, train stations or cafes. Thanks to Rich Mulholland for most of the inspiration on board games, and to Keti for being
- [What are you "best in the room" at?](https://conorneill.com/2020/02/25/what-are-you-best-in-the-room-at/) - I heard David Meerman Scott share this question in a recent Elevate podcast episode with host Bob Glazer. He was asked by someone "Imagine you are in a room with 2,000 people. What could you confidently say you are the best in the room at?" Take a moment to reflect on this question. I imagined
- [Notes from Cicero](https://conorneill.com/2020/02/14/notes-from-cicero/) - This blog post is based on a couple of passages that I have copied and pasted from the book "The Cicero Trilogy" by Robert Harris. 2 weeks ago I found myself watching the Impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump from my hotel room in California, while reading about an Impeachment trial over 2,000 years
- [The 3 Excuses](https://conorneill.com/2020/02/07/the-3-excuses/) - “You can’t free anybody else and you can’t serve anybody else unless you free yourself” Nelson Mandela You are not an accident. You are a singular piece in the giant jigsaw puzzle that is this world. This jigsaw puzzle is not a 50 piece puzzle, nor a 250 piece puzzle… it is a 7 billion piece puzzle.
- [The best compliment you can receive... (thanks to Rajesh Setty)](https://conorneill.com/2020/02/04/the-best-compliment-you-can-receive-thanks-to-rajesh-setty/) - Rajesh Setty shared some wisdom with me last year. One thing out of many that I remember was this idea: the most valuable compliment you can hear from another person. I had the privilege of reading a draft of Rajesh's newest book over the last month and I have written a recommendation that hopefully will
- [How to be Happier and Productive in 2020](https://conorneill.com/2020/01/28/how-to-be-happier-and-productive-in-2020/) - Original article posted at Forbes 20th January 2020 How to be Happier and More Productive in 2020. I’ve spent the last 16 years working with CEOs and entrepreneurs to help them get clear on their purpose, get great people around them, execute their decisions and enjoy their life in the process. The fact that you
- [Results in Life](https://conorneill.com/2020/01/16/results-in-life/) - There are 3 primary drivers of results in life: Your luck (randomness)Your strategy (choices)Your actions (habits) Nice tweet from James Clear, the author of the book Atomic Habits. There is a fourth driver of Results 4. how I respond to what happens I am reading Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life at the moment. I
- [The World's Best Individual Podcast Episodes](https://conorneill.com/2019/02/13/the-worlds-best-individual-podcast-episodes/) - Here's a growing list of some of the best specific podcast episodes (I will keep updating this blog post). Some are my favourites and some have been recommended by readers and friends. What are some of the best podcast episodes that you have heard? (looking for specific episodes rather than the whole podcast...) . Thanks!
- [Book Recommendation: The Death of Ivan Ilyich](https://conorneill.com/2020/01/08/book-recommendation-the-death-of-ivan-ilyich/) - What makes for a meaningful human life? Who and what are the most important for you? Leo Tolstoy addresses these questions in his 1886 short story The Death of Ivan Ilyich. If you have read the book, would love your reflections on the book in the comments below. If you have not read the book,
- [17 Daily personal habits for a fulfilling life](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/15/17-daily-personal-habits-for-a-fulfilling-life/) - I have been teaching MBAs for 12 years and I am often asked over a coffee a question on the general theme of "what should I do with my life?" or "how can I be a success?" to which I feel hugely under-qualified to provide answers. I have spent time reflecting on my own life
- [7 Reasons to Subscribe](https://conorneill.com/2004/01/01/7-reasons-to-subscribe/) - You never have to check the site for updates again, and you get the latest and greatest first.It’s free.9,200+ subscribers means something–the content works, and using e-mail or RSS saves you wasted visits. More results in less time.Exclusive content is often limited to subscribers only. If you want the opportunities, subscribing is the way to
- [Improve your Life: Be Intentional about what Frustrates you](https://conorneill.com/2019/12/31/improve-your-life-be-intentional-about-what-frustrates-you/) - The newspaper is full of other people's problems. Do they bother you? The world is full of people who don't know what you expect from them. Does it bother you when they don't do what you expect? How can you have a good day when you give 8 billion people control over your state of
- [Short term Happy vs Long term Fulfilled](https://conorneill.com/2019/12/15/short-term-happy-vs-long-term-fulfilled/) - It is a trade off. Charlie Munger said in a recent interview: "if you take lots of heroin, you'll be very happy over the next 3 weeks... but the long term impact is catastrophic" How to balance short term enjoyment with long term fulfillment? Reflection in this video is on this balance between habits for
- [Living A Fulfilling Human Life: Meeting The 6 Emotional Needs](https://conorneill.com/2019/12/10/living-a-fulfilling-human-life-meeting-the-6-emotional-needs/) - How to live a fulfilling human life? Abraham Maslow was the first psychologist to look specifically at what it takes to live a healthy, fulfilling human life. Prior to Maslow, psychology was focussed on dealing with mental illness and abnormality. Maslow suggested that to be happy, it is not sufficient to just remove sadness. The
- [Peter Diamandis: 9 key lessons derived from 150 startups](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/31/peter-diamandis-9-key-lessons-derived-from-150-startups/) - I receive a couple of regular email newsletters. I am very strict about unsubscribing if the content is not worth the interruption to my day. Peter Diamandis sends out an excellent email newsletter called Abundance Insider, and it is full of ideas that make me sit back and reflect on the world. I originally met
- [Business Trends for 2020: The year of Purpose](https://conorneill.com/2019/12/05/business-trends-for-2020-the-year-of-purpose/) - IESE Business School Professors Mireia Gine, Yago de la Cierva, Mike Rosenberg, Mireia de las Heras and Javier Diaz-Gimenez share 5 important business trends for 2020. What are the Business Trends for 2020? Purpose is on the boardroom agenda, it is no longer sufficient to "turn a profit"Social Intelligence is the key type of intelligenceWork
- [Self Awareness: The Big 5 Personality Traits](https://conorneill.com/2019/12/02/self-awareness-the-big-5-personality-traits/) - Great leaders have high levels of self awareness. One element of self awareness is a good understanding of how human beings differ in terms of personality. The big 5 personality traits can be remembered with the acronym OCEAN. OCEAN Trait descriptions and impact on job performance. Openness, inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious; Openness is positively related to proactivity at the
- [Beginner's Mind](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/26/beginners-mind/) - Shoshin (初心) is a word from Zen Buddhism meaning "beginner's mind." It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would. "Sometimes, what you already know gets in the way of what you need to Learn"George Gan One
- [The 3 Reasons we Change](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/22/the-3-reasons-we-change/) - There are 3 reasons why a human being makes a change in their habits. If you want to effect a change in your life, or help another with a change that they say they want to make in their life - there are 3 levers that can increase the likelihood that change happens. The 3
- [The Century of the Self](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/17/the-century-of-the-self/) - Marketing has changed greatly over the last 100 years. The ideas of Sigmund Freud about self and our identity have shifted how marketers persuade us to buy. As we watch the rise of populist political movements around the world, I wanted to reflect on how political "marketing" has evolved. In the first half of the
- [The most important part of leadership...](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/13/the-most-important-part-of-leadership/) - The most important part of leadership? Ensuring that the team, the organisation, the institution, the vision and mission can live on after you. It is hard to let go of the ego part of you that enjoys being "needed". It is difficult to accept that there needs to be a future beyond you. If an
- [I love my Job](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/08/i-love-my-job/) - Jobs you love are not "found", they are created... over years of committed, generous, selfless service. It doesn't mean you have to "do your time". It doesn't mean that you wait and assume that it will come. It means you have to have the patience to find a place where you can be of service
- [How to Fail at Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/08/how-to-fail-at-leadership/) - The 3 areas you can mess up if you are to fail at Leading yourself and others: RelationshipsSelf AwarenessOpenness to Change Check out the video below to understand what it means to not mess up on relationships, self awareness and openness to change. What is Leadership? An effective leader is a person who: Creates an
- [Management is Control, Leadership is Example](https://conorneill.com/2019/11/01/management-is-control-leadership-is-example/) - Managers and Leader are very different animals. Management is about Control. Management controls 1 of 3 things: QualityTime Money Management is always about tradeoffs. If you want quality, you have to sacrifice time or money. If you want fast, you have to sacrifice quality or money. If you want cheap, you have to sacrifice quality
- [How to Be Lucky (4 Ways to Improve your Luck in Life)](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/30/how-to-be-lucky-4-ways-to-improve-your-luck-in-life/) - This video is about 4 ways to bring more luck into your life. We Make our own Luck. Why do some people lead happy successful lives whilst other face repeated failure and sadness? What enables some people to have successful careers whilst others find themselves stuck in jobs they hate? Can unlucky people do anything
- [No little bets and then a Hail Mary pass](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/26/no-little-bets-and-then-a-hail-mary-pass/) - The path of the company and the person that takes no little bets, never risks an error, never risks a mistake... is to slowly die and then risk everything on one big "Hail Mary" pass. What's the worst life strategy for a person? and also for a company? Complacency. Rely on what has always worked.
- [65 Lessons from Tony Robbins: Date with Destiny](https://conorneill.com/2017/12/20/65-lessons-from-tony-robbins-date-with-destiny/) - This is a post shared by Glenn Street on facebook. He attended Date with Destiny with Tony Robbins last week. Some “Tonyisms” compiled by Zeke Abraham at Date With Destiny last week. “I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach,
- [How to Handle Anxiety (especially when speaking in public)](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/22/how-to-handle-anxiety-especially-when-speaking-in-public/) - 4 Approaches to handle anxiety as shared with me several years ago by Pep Mari, psychologist to the Spanish Olympic team. (Check out his youtube channel here, full of great tips, in Spanish) How to Handle Anxiety: Avoid - don't go into the situation that causes you to feel anxiety in the first placeManage -
- [4 Mindsets that Build Strong Leaders Around You](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/15/4-mindsets-that-build-strong-leaders-around-you/) - This video is about 4 mindsets that we strive for in a Vistage Group Chair, and can also serve to bring out the best in the people around any leader. The 4 Leadership Mindsets for Growing the people around you are: Care-frontation Assertive Vulnerable Exploratory Care-Frontation A bit more on the word "carefrontation". It is
- [The History of the World](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/14/the-history-of-the-world/) - This summer I read "The Penguin History of the World". "The entire story of human endeavour laid out in all its grandeur and folly, drama and pain in a single authoritative book". Conor's World History in 1 Paragraph World history 9000BC to Today: The life of the poor was shit under every civilisation. It was
- [The Most Important Question before you Prepare a Speech](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/08/the-most-important-question-before-you-prepare-a-speech/) - Got a speech to give? What should I say? That is a terrible place to start. What's the most important question you can ask yourself before preparing a speech? It was fun to make this short “elevator pitch” video with the production team at @iesebschool only 7 floors to make my point!
- [How to Live a Long Life: Friends, Money & Purpose](https://conorneill.com/2019/10/01/how-to-live-a-long-life-friends-money-purpose/) - The founder of Strategic Coach, and one of my favourite podcasters, Dan Sullivan plans to live to 156 years old. It will allow him to see 3 different centuries (19,20,21). What will it take for him to live that long? He'll need to eat well. He'll need to stay physically and mentally fit. He'll need
- [The New Laziness](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/02/the-new-laziness/) - Busy-ness (on the Wrong Things) is the new Laziness "What's the best thing you could be working on, and why aren't you?" Paul Graham Richard Hamming suggests that you ask yourself three questions: What are the most important problems in your field?Are you working on one of them?Why not? Paul Graham suggests that you can
- [Paul Graham's best posts](https://conorneill.com/2019/09/29/paul-grahams-best-posts/) - Paul Graham is founder of Y Combinator. Together with Tim Urban, Seth Godin and Derek Sivers these are true artists of the blog format. "Second order thinking" is a big part of Paul's approach. Second order thinking is looking for non-obvious rules that improve decision making, efficiency and quality of life. Check out the Python
- [11 Reasons Every Leader should have a Blog](https://conorneill.com/2019/09/28/11-reasons-every-leader-should-have-a-blog/) - I have this blog. It has been going for over 10 years. Above all other benefits, writing blog posts helps me clarify what I think. I published my first post on 25th January 2009. It was a paragraph from a book I was reading that I thought was valuable advice. I have written ideas on
- [What's the best advice you've ever received?](https://conorneill.com/2019/09/26/whats-the-best-advice-youve-ever-received/) - I was doing some mindless twitter surfing just after lunch today, and I stumbled upon a gold mine. I love the thread that followed this tweet: and here's some of the answers that really resonated with me... If you don't prioritise your life, someone else will. When your child wants to have a talk, drop
- [Take Personal Cyber Security Seriously](https://conorneill.com/2018/12/26/take-personal-cyber-security-seriously/) - Digital affects every area of my life, yet I am often an idiot when it comes to online security. Hacking is not just something just for the US Government and large banks to worry about. Lots of companies and people have been hacked in 2018 with large data breaches or shutdown of their services. A
- [4 Ways to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Success](https://conorneill.com/2019/09/24/4-ways-to-stop-self-sabotaging-your-success/) - In 2009, I decided to take writing seriously. Stephen King says "A writer is a producer of words." If you produce words, you're a writer. If you don't produce words, you are not a writer. Every day my coach would ask me "how many words did you produce today?" It was brutal. There is no
- [The Zig-Zag Path to your Dream Job](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/04/the-zig-zag-path-to-your-dream-job/) - 2. Identify Who you find Inspirational
- [Entrepreneurial Sales: Overcoming the 3 big objections](https://conorneill.com/2019/09/05/entrepreneurial-sales-overcoming-the-3-big-objections/) - I've done a lot of sales over the last 16 years. I was bad at the beginning, but step by step have learnt how to sell. There are always 3 big questions in the mind of any buyer that you must be able to address if you are to move forward with a contract. The
- [10 Personal Habits of Resilient People](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/09/10-personal-habits-of-resilient-people/) - Take a moment and think about the people you know well. Who is the most psychologically resilient of your friends or family? Who would cope the best with major setbacks? Who would be able to keep their heads while all about them are losing theirs? Dealing with Failure: Resilience I was at
- [The ability to turn back](https://conorneill.com/2013/11/21/the-ability-to-turn-back/) - A few weeks ago I was in the audience with my friend Manuel listening to Kilian Jornet share his life story. At the age of 26, Kilian projects the profound wisdom of a Zen sage. The mountains are a powerful teacher. Kilian will run up and down Everest in 2015. Yep, run up it. He
- [Athens, Home of Rhetoric. Where the Power of the Spoken Word first began](https://conorneill.com/2019/08/13/where-the-power-of-the-spoken-word-first-began-athens/) - I've just returned from a few days in Athens, visiting with my daughter. She became a big fan of greek myths and legends from her reading of the Percy Jackson series of books. As we walked around the Acropolis area, the Parthenon and the ancient Agora of Athens, I reflected upon the elements of civilisation
- [What Question would you ask the Oracle of Delphi?](https://conorneill.com/2019/08/11/what-question-would-you-ask-the-oracle-of-delphi/) - I am in Athens this week with my daughter. On Friday we drove to Delphi to visit the ancient ruins. For over one thousand years, during the time of the Greek city states, Delphi was the center of the Greek world. Delphi became famous far and wide between 700BC and 400AD for the Oracle. The
- [The ABCs of The Good Life](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/03/the-abcs-of-the-good-life/) - What is the good life? The good life is choosing to go beyond mere survival. Survival comes in the genes. We are automated to eat, breath and procreate. This is not living the good life. The good life is a daily intentional choice to flourish. We can develop to the full the best of our
- [How to sell a pen](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/25/how-to-sell-a-pen/) - There is a classic sales interview question where the interview pushes a pen towards the interviewee and says "sell me this pen." You might have seen the question in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. How do you Sell a Pen? Don't start with the pen. Start with the person in front of you.
- [Sales Training 101: Fish where the fish are](https://conorneill.com/2015/04/16/fish-where-the-fish-are/) - ...not where you would like them to be. I spent over 10 years building entrepreneurial ventures that had a lot of selling involved (insurance, business services, restaurant franchises, aeroplanes). Fish Where the Fish Are I met a young entrepreneur last week at Startupbootcamp. He told me "I am not good at sales". I said "What
- [A Great Story needs Conflict](https://conorneill.com/2019/07/23/a-great-story-needs-conflict/) - Overcoming challenges and obstacles is what makes life meaningful. I hope your dreams and visions are big enough to be difficult. "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better" Jim Rohn This video is about superman. When superman was first developed as a comic book character, he was so strong and powerful that he
- [Do you have Weekend Friends or Mid-week Friends?](https://conorneill.com/2019/07/18/do-you-have-weekend-friends-or-mid-week-friends/) - David Brooks has career success, but in this TED talk he shares how he found himself empty. 5 years ago, his wife left, his kids had moved out... and he discovered he had nothing to do outside of work. He had mid-week friends, but he had no weekend friends. Success in career is not success
- [Career: "I want to make a change but I am worried about the Risks..."](https://conorneill.com/2019/07/16/career-i-want-to-make-a-change-but-i-am-worried-about-the-risks/) - This video responds to the question: "I want to change career, but I am worried about the risks". Rather than worry about the possible mistakes you could make in changing, reflect on the story you want to be able to tell about your life when you are 80 years old. Will you regret not having
- [If You Want to Use Your Phone Less, First Figure Out Why](https://conorneill.com/2019/07/05/if-you-want-to-use-your-phone-less-first-figure-out-why/) - This is a summary of the article on the HBR blog: "If You Want to Use Your Phone Less, First Figure Out Why" by Marcello Russo, Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Gabriele Morandin 4 Common Reasons People want to Use their Phone less Many of us would like to spend less time attached to our phones. But to
- [Happiness is about Searching more than Finding](https://conorneill.com/2019/07/02/happiness-is-about-searching-more-than-finding/) - Barcelona-based philosopher Eduardo Punset developed a formula for happiness. I forget much of the details, but I always remember his description of "Search" as a fundamental part of the state of being happy. The video below shares a story that Eduard used to demonstrate the importance of the search (it is about his little dog).
- [Living a Purpose Driven Life - inspired by Dandapani](https://conorneill.com/2019/06/11/living-a-purpose-driven-life-inspired-by-dandapani/) - More from Dandapani Dandapani on Instagram (he takes great photos) https://www.instagram.com/dandapanillc "How to Concentrate", Dandapani at TEDx
- [How to Make Progress: First take the brakes off...](https://conorneill.com/2019/06/06/how-to-make-progress-first-take-the-brakes-off/) - A short story from the mountains about how removing drag can be more effective than increasing power. Many times we could improve our life by cleaning up the things we do that actively damage ourselves: eating poorly, drinking too much, complaining, remaining angry, holding grudges, positioning myself as a victim. What do you think? What's
- [How to Prepare and Deliver a Great TED Talk](https://conorneill.com/2017/02/28/how-to-prepare-and-deliver-a-great-ted-talk/) - You are going to give a TED talk? You want to give a TED talk? It is on your bucket list to deliver a TED talk? This video is for you... The 10 Areas to Prepare a TED Talk Learn about the 10 areas: This is a 20 minute video covering 10 areas that you will
- [The 4 Fatal Fears (in Western Society)](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/24/the-4-fatal-fears-in-western-society/) - A big part of Vistage group meetings is working through a CEO's challenges and helping them get clarity about how they can move forward with their business and their life. We often find that the biggest obstacle to forward progress is not outside of us, but inside of us. There are 4 fatal fears. We
- [How to Get Paid to Speak](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/23/how-to-get-paid-to-speak/) - "Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in your life." Brian Tracy Imagine being paid well to travel the world and share your message with people that want to hear you speak? If something in that question resonates, this post might be helpful. Today,
- [The Art of Learning: Attention without Judgement](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/21/the-art-of-learning-attention-without-judgement/) - This video is about paying attention in the process of learning, and trusting the process. The Art of Learning: Attention without Judgement. If I am judging everything, I am judging from today's level of mastery... and blocking my progress. It is so difficult to remember that I don't see more than what I am capable
- [The 4 Methods of Decision Making](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/16/the-4-methods-of-decision-making/) - I have a lasting interest in how people make good decisions, especially when many people are involved, and many people are affected by the decisions. Currently reading the book "Crucial Conversations". Towards the end of the book, there is a section on moving from a dialogue towards concrete actions. The authors say that there are
- [How to Have a Coaching Conversation](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/14/how-to-have-a-coaching-conversation/) - This week's video comes from Champery in Switzerland where I have been part of the faculty for a leadership program for the Avanade company. One of the other faculty is a Leadership Coach called Kris Girrell. He shared a simple 4 part structure for a Coaching Conversation. The 4 Coaching Questions What's Up?What's So?What's Possible?Let's
- [Do you have a Career or do you have a Job?](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/08/do-you-have-a-career-or-do-you-have-a-job/) - Most people who get paid have a job. A job is where someone pays you to do something that they don't want to do. A career is where someone pays you because you are awesome at something valuable. In order to build a career you need a couple of things: Mastery - A Rare and
- [The Top 10 Words in Commencement Speeches](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/07/the-top-10-words-in-commencement-speeches/) - NPR have a wonderful speech database with over 350 great commencement speeches on their resource The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever What are the Most Common Words? Excluding prepositions and other super-common words, the most frequent words appearing in this database of Great Commencement Speeches were: LifeMakePeopleWorldYourselfMakeSuccessGenerationDefineHuman Source: The Top Words of Wisdom for Graduates on
- [My Father's List: Leaders and Non-leaders](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/01/my-fathers-list-leaders-and-non-leaders/) - This list was put together by my father, Terry Neill, in the 1980's as a reminder for himself and those around him about the nature of good leadership, and the easy pitfalls of Non-Leadership. He led businesses through good times and through tough times and I can see the positive impact he has had on
- [Unstoppable Teams](https://conorneill.com/2019/05/01/unstoppable-teams/) - "If you have a dream and you know all the tasks required to achieve the dream, you don't have a dream... you have a task. A dream is something you don't yet know how you will be able to accomplish"Alden Mills Alden Mills spent several years as a Navy Seal commander, before launching the fastest
- [Am I Trustworthy?](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/29/am-i-trustworthy/) - What does it mean to be someone worthy of trust? What does it mean to be someone who is capable of making and keeping promises? This video shares a model from Luis Soares Costa about Trustworthiness. 4 aspects of being Trustworthy Character (Being) Integrity Intent Competence (Doing) Skills Results The following post is reshared from
- [Listen with Your Eyes](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/24/listen-with-your-eyes/) - This week I have been teaching at the Mid Atlantic Business School on the island of Santa Cruz de la Palma. This video shares a lesson that many participants took from the day: "Listen with Your Eyes". Hearing is a sense that differs from all our other senses, because it has a buffer. I am
- [IESE Leadership Communications: Q&A with John Zimmer on Common Questions](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/16/iese-leadership-communications-qa-with-john-zimmer-on-common-questions/) - This is an interview with John Zimmer, one of the leadership communications coaches who joins me regularly at IESE Business School for various programs. This week we are teaching the Executive MBA program. John has a wonderful blog: Manner of Speaking. Four of the top posts at his blog are: The Gettysburg Address: An AnalysisFive
- [Becoming a Vistage Speaker](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/14/becoming-a-vistage-speaker/) - This is a 36 minute conversation with Bill Gallagher, a business coach and speaker who is beginning to work with Vistage Groups. In this conversation we discuss how a speaker can build their relationship with Vistage leading to invitations to deliver workshops to Vistage groups in their area or region. We also discuss what is
- [A Life Lesson from The Game of Thrones](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/09/a-life-lesson-from-the-game-of-thrones/) - Game of Thrones is back for its final season this week. This video comes from the beautiful city walls of Ávila, about 100kms to the west of Madrid in Spain. I used to think that it was enough to be good at your job, and to be nice to people... and money, success and power
- [How to Take Better Decisions](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/02/how-to-take-better-decisions/) - How to improve your life: make better decisions.If you take better decisions, you improve your life. How to take better decisions: Improve your data Focus on what is Important (with Frameworks) Get other brains involved Improve your DataFeelings are not a good guide in complex decisions. Only evidence and the perspectives of people who have
- [How to Lead Change in Organisations](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/01/how-to-lead-change-in-organisations/) - Last week I finally got to meet the Arbinger Institute. On Thursday I attended a workshop in Barcelona for one of our Vistage CEO Groups led by Arbinger Institute. On Friday I had the privilege of meeting the CEO of Arbinger Institute and hearing about his personal mission to expand the impact of their work.
- [What Makes Some People More Productive Than Others](https://conorneill.com/2019/04/01/what-makes-some-people-more-productive-than-others/) - One of my most read & shared posts ever is 11 Differences between Busy People and Productive People. Productivity is clearly a theme which resonates with you, my favorite reader. Robert Pozen and Kevin Downey write about 3 keys to productivity over at Harvard Business Review. They share a summary of their work on personal
- [Preparing for the Future (not Reacting to the Past)](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/31/preparing-for-the-future-not-reacting-to-the-past/) - Last night I drove home from the Costa Brava. This is a 90 minute drive. I spent 89 minutes looking at the road ahead and about 1 minute using the mirrors to see what was behind me, and what was in the lanes next to me. Driving while looking mostly in the rear view mirror
- [Film Making Masterclass: with Final Cut Pro](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/26/film-making-masterclass-with-final-cut-pro/) - Not for all my readers, but for anyone who uses Final Cut Pro to edit videos, this 90 minute masterclass is excellent. John Williams is excellent in explaining the end to end process from idea through to fully edited film. Topics Covered in this Film Making Masterclass Louise Laws provided a great run down of
- [4 Categories of Poor Listening](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/24/4-categories-of-poor-listening/) - Here's a quick analysis (not scientific nor complete) of poor ways of listening. I am guilty of #1 and #2, I can enjoy #3... but I really hate #4. (#2 is my Achilles Heel). The 4 Categories of Poor Listening Knows it AlreadyOne UpperGossiperBlack Hole Knows it Already As you get half-way through your sentence,
- [Money: 10 Important Lessons](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/20/money-10-important-lessons/) - "All my daughter really wants from me is a few minutes of my undivided attention... the richer people get the more money they spend trying to "Dorothée Loorbach I am bad with money It has taken me many years to admit this to myself. It was only by admitting it that I have been able
- [What makes a Great Vistage Speaker? Michael Canic shares experiences from over 450 speaker sessions](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/12/what-makes-a-great-vistage-speaker-michael-canic/) - This video is for Vistage Speakers, and is a briefing video about what to expect as a Vistage speaker. About Michael Canic “Professionally, I love working with committed people and making a difference. When I get to see the before-and-after it’s tremendously rewarding.”Michael Canic Michael Canic is a business strategy consultant and regular Vistage speaker
- [The Job of the CEO](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/05/the-job-of-the-ceo/) - This is a 30 minute interview I conducted with Waldemar Schmidt, past-CEO of a 250,000 employee global company. He shared insights about the role of the CEO: How to get the CEO roleHow to be a good CEOHow to end your time as CEO andWhat to do next. Watch the Interview View on YouTube: The
- [How to Take Better Business Decisions: 50 Great Questions for Critical Thinking](https://conorneill.com/2019/03/01/take-better-business/) - A leader should be interested in developing 2 competencies in the people within their organisation: Good Decision Making (to take good choices about how to use the resources of the organisation to achieve strategic plans)Influencing Skills (because if they cannot influence their peers, people will have to involve you every time...) If your team doesn't
- [The Career Advice you Probably didn't Get](https://conorneill.com/2019/02/22/the-career-advice-you-probably-didnt-get/) - You’re doing everything right at work, taking all the right advice, but you’re just not moving up. Why? Susan Colantuono shares a simple, surprising piece of advice you might not have heard before quite so plainly. This talk, while aimed at an audience of women, has universal takeaways -- for men and women, new graduates
- [Jim Collins: How to Build an Enduring Great Company (12 Questions for Leaders)](https://conorneill.com/2019/02/21/jim-collins-how-to-build-an-enduring-great-company-12-questions-for-leaders/) - Video: Summary of Jim Collins' 12 Questions #1 strive for excellence The first step is a conscious decision on the part of leadership to decide for excellence, to decide to build an enduring great company. Often leaders are enduring great individuals, but that doesn't make for an enduring great company. Leaders must put excellence in
- [The Top 10 Errors of Corporate Directors](https://conorneill.com/2019/02/06/the-top-10-errors-of-corporate-directors/) - Are you currently a member of a board of directors, or do you hope one day to take the role as a board member? I came across this short video from the Irish Institute of Directors sharing 10 common mistakes made by company directors. George Bartlett shares from his 25 years of experience as a
- [Career Momentum](https://conorneill.com/2019/01/17/career-momentum/) - Are you making progress in your career? Gary Burnison, the CEO of leading global headhunters Korn Ferry recently shared a tool for understanding the current health of your career, the Career Momentum Index (CMI). Gary says that, in our careers, we also need to honestly know "Where am I right now?". For a healthy body,
- [100K](https://conorneill.com/2019/01/16/100k/) - Last night I hit a goal that has taken 3 years. Back in 2016 in Washington on the EO Global Leadership Academy, together with Rich Mulholland and Christophe Magnussen, we each committed to get serious about video creation. Last night, I hit 100K subscribers on YouTube. Thanks to all of you for subscribing, sharing, commenting, sending
- [The Last 5% is the Hard Part](https://conorneill.com/2019/01/07/the-last-5-is-the-hard-part/) - Starting is easy. There are no prizes for starting the marathon. You get the medal for finishing. Most people I know are good at starting. Few people I know are good at finishing. Who do you know who is good at finishing? What do they do differently? The closer you get to the end, the
- [Google Evaluates Leadership Using these 13 Questions](https://conorneill.com/2019/01/02/google-evaluates-leadership-using-these-13-questions/) - Google started asking team members to answer the following questions, using a 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) scale. My manager gives me actionable feedback that helps me improve my performance.My manager does not "micromanage" (get involved in details that should be handled at other levels).My manager shows consideration for me as a person.The actions
- [On the RadEO Podcast with Ross Drakes](https://conorneill.com/2018/12/21/on-the-radeo-podcast-with-ross-drakes/) - You can listen to the full podcast on soundcloud, or subscribe on iTunes (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radeo/id1250841955) I had a wonderful conversation with EO South Africa member and RadEO Podcast host Ross Drakes (along with the great Rich Mulholland) a few weeks back after the EO Global Leadership Academy in Washington. About this Episode: In this episode of RadEO,
- [Rich Mulholland's YouTube Interview with Conor Neill](https://conorneill.com/2017/05/16/the-get-rich-quick-show-practice-in-public-practice-everywhere/)
- [[Infographic] The World as 100 People](https://conorneill.com/2015/06/20/infographic-the-world-as-100-people/) - The world has 7.323 billion people living on it (as of 20 June 2015, source Worldometer). The World as a Village of 100 If the world was a village of 100 people, 48 live on less than $2 a day. 21 are overweight and 16 are hungry. 12 speak Chinese, 5 spanish and 5 english. 49
- [Did Netflix kill Blockbuster?](https://conorneill.com/2018/12/17/did-netflix-kill-blockbuster/) - Did Netflix kill Blockbuster? or did Blockbuster forget about customers? Did Amazon kill Sears? or did Sears forget about customers? One of my early business mentors told me "you have to be half the price or triple the value for someone to switch from their current provider". People don't switch from Sears to Amazon for
- [Leadership Communications](https://conorneill.com/2018/12/07/leadership-communications/) - Nothing brings more opportunity into your life than speaking well in public. I have been teaching for 16 years on many leadership programs at IESE Business School. Today I'm sharing a playlist of a series of videos that we put together as an introduction for participants of future courses. There are 10 videos in the
- [Networking for Leaders](https://conorneill.com/2018/12/01/networking-for-leaders/) - A Strong personal network doesn’t just happen. An attitude of service might just be the most important thing you can bring to the table. If you are interested in networking you might also like 9 Habits to Develop a Strong Network and The #1 Reason you don't have a strong Network.
- [The 5 Choices that will Change your Life](https://conorneill.com/2018/11/27/the-5-choices-that-will-change-your-life/) - Caroline Myss shares 5 Choices that will Transform your Life: Tell Truth (not Lies) Share Wisdom (not Woe)Take Risks (not Play Safe)Choose New Words (never use "entitled", "blame", "deserve")Choose to Bless your Day
- [When was the Last Time You Changed Your Opinion?](https://conorneill.com/2018/11/26/when-was-the-last-time-you-changed-your-opinion/) - "Progress is impossible without change. Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything" George Bernhard Shaw If you can't change your mind, then you're not using it. Adaptability is important. If you don't change and update your world view based on new information and new perspectives, you are dangerous. If you tend to fight to
- [How to Hire Great People](https://conorneill.com/2018/11/13/how-to-hire-great-people/) - If you are to build a great business, you need to know how to hire great people. There are 3 things you want to see in a person to know that they will make a lasting positive impact on the organisation. Can they do the job todayWill they do the job long termDo they fit
- [Video Lesson: What is a Story?](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/16/video-lesson-what-is-a-story/) - Storytelling is the most important tradition humans possess. Stories teach us to love, to forgive others, to be just and to strive for better than we have. Stories share and reinforce our values as human beings living together in society. In business, stories are the building blocks of culture. Peter Drucker says "Only 3 things
- [There are no "They"](https://conorneill.com/2018/11/06/there-are-no-they/) - This video comes from the foothills of the Wicklow mountains, near my parent's house in Dublin. I was teaching at the UCD Smurfit Business School and then spent the weekend down in Wexford at the opera festival. My parent's have been big supporters of this festival over the last 20 years and it was important
- [How to Achieve your Most Ambitious Goals](https://conorneill.com/2018/10/21/how-to-achieve-your-most-ambitious-goals/) - In his TED talk, Stephen Duneier explains that what defines him are not titles, but an approach to decision making that transformed him from someone who struggled with simple tasks to a guy who is continuously achieving even his most ambitious dreams. For thirty years, he has applied cognitive science to investing, business and life.
- [The Joy of Flight Delays](https://conorneill.com/2018/10/14/the-joy-of-flight-delays/) - It's a "first world problem". Flight delays. When air travel works, I love travelling as a speaker and teacher. When there are delays... I start to reconsider how much it should be worth to leave my comfortable home city of Barcelona. What to do when your flight is delayed? Step 1: be grateful that I
- [Decision Fatigue for Leaders](https://conorneill.com/2018/10/10/decision-fatigue-for-leaders/) - The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain. As it tires, your brain looks for shortcuts. The 2 most common decision avoidance tactics are: to act impulsively (without seeing the consequences of the decision)to procrastinate (do nothing) Taking decisions takes willpower. Willpower is a form of mental
- [How does Jeff Bezos spend his time?](https://conorneill.com/2018/10/02/how-does-jeff-bezos-spend-his-time/) - Jeff Bezos of Amazon has a very clear view on how to dedicate his time as a leader of his business: Time working on the FutureTime working in the Present How does Jeff allocate his time? 50/50? 80/20? 90/10?... What do you think is the allocation of time that Jeff aims for himself? What is
- [An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away](https://conorneill.com/2018/09/20/an-apple-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away/) - The secret to a good life? No, just a simple reflection on the nature of things. The important gestures you can make each day that really make an impact on others over the long time, are often so small that they are easily forgotten each day... but over 10 years the presence or the lack
- [What does it mean to be a Great Mentor?](https://conorneill.com/2018/09/13/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-great-mentor/) - If Life is hard, it is especially challenging for rugged individualists. Rugged individualism, derived from "individualism", is a term that indicates the virtuous ideal where an individual is totally self-reliant and independent from outside assistance.W I was a proud rugged individualist through school, into my first corporate job, and into my first 2 entrepreneurial ventures.
- [Teamwork: Ask for Help (especially when you don't think you need it)](https://conorneill.com/2018/09/12/teamwork-ask-for-help-especially-when-you-dont-think-you-need-it/) - How to Improve Teamwork? There are many ways, many frameworks, many tips. Here I share one simple, easy to implement change that you can begin to use today. Sometimes the best way to allow your team mates to ask for help is for you to ask for help first (and especially when you don't necessarily
- [Who can you Trust?](https://conorneill.com/2018/09/05/who-can-you-trust/) - "Sincerity is not a test of truth; only truth is a test of truth" Jim Rohn This video is about Trust and 3 things to look for in another person in order to determine if they are worthy of your trust. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRARufEK5j8&t The three things to look for: Self Aware: They recognise their own failings
- [Leadership requires more than just being a good Person](https://conorneill.com/2018/08/28/leadership-requires-more-than-just-being-a-good-person/) - This video is inspired by George RR Martin and his view on leadership and the price of power. Kouzes and Posner in The Leadership Challenge show that being a good person gets the greatest effort out of the people around you, but just being a nice person can mean you avoid the really tough decisions
- [Why Business Leaders Hire Coaches](https://conorneill.com/2018/08/26/why-business-leaders-hire-coaches/) - This list is Conor's "Sunday afternoon in a coffee shop brain dump" of reasons why Business Leaders seek the support of an Executive Coach or Mentor either independently or through an organisation like Vistage. I've been working on leadership development for over a decade through my roles at IESE Business School, Entrepreneurs Organisation and Vistage.
- [Business Leader: Why you should be in a Mastermind Group: EO, YPO, Vistage](https://conorneill.com/2018/08/25/business-leader-why-you-should-be-in-a-mastermind-group-eo-ypo-vistage/) - Are you a Business Leader? I've been part of Entrepreneurs' Organisation for the last 10 years and for almost any significant decision I have taken in the last decade, there are 9 people in my forum group who have helped me take a better decision. I would share with them: the background to the decision
- [Some People Go 24 Hours Without Hearing a Single Positive Thing Said About Them](https://conorneill.com/2018/08/21/some-people-go-24-hours-without-hearing-a-single-positive-thing-said-about-them/) - "Some People Go 24 Hours Without Hearing a Single Positive Thing Said About Them" Coach George Raveling (on the Tim Ferriss podcast) I was struck by this sentence. I was inspired by Tim Ferriss' interview with Coach George Raveling. George speaks so clearly and concisely about life and learning and our role. His life has
- [What are your Strategic Recipes? (for meeting the 6 Human Emotional Needs)](https://conorneill.com/2018/08/13/what-are-your-strategic-recipes-for-meeting-the-6-human-emotional-needs/) - "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom" Aristotle There are few things more important than understanding your own personal strategic recipes for enjoying a positive, fulfilling experience of your own life. What is a Strategic Recipe. Let's start with what constitutes a "strategy". "A Strategy is a system of producing a consistent result". Tony Robbins
- [Iteration is Everything](https://conorneill.com/2018/08/03/iteration-is-everything/) - I was on the road for 8 hours over last 2 days, lots of podcasts. I listened to Tim Ferriss speaking to Jason Fried. Jason seems an interesting character - professes to have no goals as he learnt at a young age that setting and aiming at goals only served to detract from his joy
- [3 Conditions for Success, Mark Fritz](https://conorneill.com/2018/07/31/3-conditions-for-success-mark-fritz/) - Mark Fritz is a regular Vistage speaker who is on a mission to end micromanagement around the world. He is passionate about helping leaders create highly engaged organisations where every employee treats the business as if it were their own. One of my favourite examples from Mark is his question: "why does nobody ever wash
- [Seth Godin says "Kids should Learn 2 Things (and only 2 things) to Thrive"](https://conorneill.com/2018/07/29/seth-godin-says-kids-should-learn-2-things-and-only-2-things-to-thrive/) - If you want your kids to thrive in the next decades in the commercial world, internet sage Seth Godin tells us that they need to learn to be good at two (and only 2) things: Solve Interesting Problems Lead If you can raise a kid who can solve interesting problems and lead (which requires emotional
- [Become Inspiring: How to Get the Best out of those around you](https://conorneill.com/2018/07/07/become-inspiring-how-to-get-the-best-out-of-those-around-you/) - This video is about how to become someone who is inspiring to those around you. There are 4 key ingredients of the people that get the best out of the teams around them. I shared this talk with over 800 school heads, teaching leaders and educational leaders at the Global Forum on Girls Education in
- [The Global Economic Outlook from 2018 to 2050 (Big Changes are happening)](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/14/the-global-economic-outlook-from-2018-to-2050-big-changes-are-happening/) - Professor Nuria Mas recently delivered a session on the Global Economic Outlook at IESE Business School. Lets look at what's going to happen to the global economy over the next 30 years. Here's the summary in bullet points and some photos of the key slides. The Global Economic Outlook to 2050 US and Europe are
- [How to Build Credibility](https://conorneill.com/2015/03/12/how-to-build-credibility/) - The Myth of Mad, Mad Cassandra Cassandra lived in the time of greek myth, before we put numbers to the years. She was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of the city of Troy. She was a strong willed, beautiful red head. Her beauty was so great that she is considered the second
- [Leadership, A Definition...](https://conorneill.com/2018/06/20/leadership-a-definition/) - What is a Leader? Simple answer: Someone with Followers. You have to have Followers in order to be a Leader. How do you get Followers? 2 things Make you a Leader with Followers: See a Change that is Required in the World Bring together Resources to Achieve this Change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0mdPEp7Law
- [Step 1 in Leadership: Make your Bed, Navy Seal Admiral McRaven](https://conorneill.com/2018/06/18/make-your-bed/) - "If every one of you changed the life of just 10 people... in 6 generations we will have changed the world" Admiral McRaven Admiral McRaven offered advice for changing the world from his 36 years of experience as a Navy SEAL: Ask for help when you need it, respect everyone, persevere through failures and, make
- [Leaders are Responsible for their Learning](https://conorneill.com/2018/06/08/leaders-are-responsible-for-their-learning/) - When I run seminars on leadership, I often share the lessons learnt from the work Kouzes and Posner did to create their book "The Leadership Challenge". They identified the 4 most important characteristics of a leader that gets the greatest discretionary effort out of the people around them. Number 2 on this list is "Competence".
- [The ABC's of a Fulfilling Life: Action, Belief, Curiosity, Discipline, Energy & Friends](https://conorneill.com/2018/06/05/the-abcs-of-a-fulfilling-life-action-belief-curiosity-discipline-energy-friends/) - What is the good life? We can survive for 75 years... but what is a good use of those years? The good life is choosing to go beyond mere survival. The good life is a daily intentional choice to flourish. We can develop the best of our strengths and bring the worst of our weaknesses under
- [Servant Leadership: The 4 Conversations that Ken Blanchard says we need to be able to have](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/29/servant-leadership-the-4-conversations-that-ken-blanchard-says-we-need-to-be-able-to-have/) - Ken Blanchard's book "The One Minute Manager" is short, simple, quick to read... and excellent for any new manager or leader. In this video I share 4 Conversations that Ken Blanchard says we need to learn to be able to have with our team members if we wish to be effective Servant Leaders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pT-93Xn49E 4
- [Standing out from the Crowd: If you are going to be Different, Execution must be Excellent](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/22/standing-out-from-the-crowd-if-you-are-going-to-be-different-execution-must-be-excellent/) - This video is from Bilbao in front of the Guggenheim Museum. I was in Bilbao for the launch of Vistage in the region. In my courses I often have participants who hate following standard processes. Sometimes this is a good thing. When you decide to break the rules, you better do your homework and preparation
- [Brian Brault, Chairman of The Entrepreneurs' Organisation, Inspiring Speech at the United Nations](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/17/brian-brault-chairman-of-the-entrepreneurs-organisation-inspiring-speech-at-the-united-nations/) - This is a wonderful 10 minute speech by Brian Brault, Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Organisation, during a United Nations Global meeting on how Entrepreneurship can make a difference to the UN Developmental Goals. Creating a Shared Future for Entrepreneurs and Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=F7nbLopcRZ0
- [Happiness: Be Interested in the Changing Seasons](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/15/happiness-be-interested-in-the-changing-seasons/) - "To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring" George Santayana I spent most of this week in Ireland teaching at UCD Smurfit Business School and then running a corporate event at Croke Park. This week's video is from Croke park - you
- [Book Recommendation: The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/08/book-recommendation-the-surrender-experiment-by-michael-singer/) - This video is about a book that I read last week that has had a major impact on my approach to life (even if only over the last 7 days...). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MFFsUQmRFs The Surrender Experiment Check out: The Surrender Experiment, by Michael Singer https://amzn.to/2I0C6DC Read More Great Books If you would like to see my full
- [Top Tips to Help Your Child to Thrive in School (from a retired Teacher)](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/03/top-tips-to-help-your-child-to-thrive-in-school-from-a-retired-teacher/) - This is a guest post from Joyce Wilson. Joyce is a retired teacher with decades of experience. I asked her to share her experiences about how parents can contribute to their kids thriving at school. Joyce has created TeacherSpark.org to share creative ideas and practical resources for the classroom. Over to Joyce... Top Tips to Help you Child Thrive
- [Great Public Speaking: The Best Speakers Speak WITH the Audience (not AT or TO)](https://conorneill.com/2018/05/01/great-public-speaking-the-best-speakers-speak-with-the-audience-not-at-or-to/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc0BXpeAWn4 During the EMBA intensive week at IESE Business School in Barcelona, I had the opportunity to spend a whole week with John Zimmer, Tony Anagor, Tobias Rodrigues and Florian Mueck... and 119 wonderful IESE EMBA Participants as we learnt and grew both professionally and personally. Here, John Zimmer shares 3 tips on Speaking With
- [Welcome to the Course](https://conorneill.com/2010/03/28/welcome-to-the-course/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course Congratulations on Beginning the Speaking As A Leader Course You are now successfully registered for the Speaking as a Leader Program. You should begin receiving the first course emails in your inbox right now. It took me years to be happy with how I look, sound and speak on
- [What Slows Down your Decision Making?](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/28/what-slows-down-your-decision-making/) - Over on the Inc blog there is an article titled 20 Executives Share Lessons They Wish They Could Have Told Their Younger Selves. I share my top 4 from the full list, in the order that I think they are important. The most relevant for me was number 9, not for the "decide issues quickly" but
- [Jeff Bezos on High Standards, and on Why you Don't Achieve your Goals](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/24/jeff-bezos-on-high-standards-and-on-why-you-dont-achieve-your-goals/) - I've published two videos this week. Both of these videos were inspired by Jeff Bezos' letter to shareholders from last week. (The text of the letter is available below). 2 Jeff Bezos Inspired Videos The first: why do we fail to achieve our goals? The second: how do we create high standards? if you are
- [4 Vital Questions for Every Powerpoint Slide](https://conorneill.com/2012/04/29/4-vital-questions-for-every-powerpoint-slide/) - I am sitting in an audience at a conference. This third speaker today started well. He seems interesting and speaks with passion. He is now on his seventh powerpoint slide. Each slide is interesting and well designed. He has worked hard to find good images and pithy quotes. My neighbour leans in towards me. I lean towards him.
- [The 4 Types of Audience for your Speech](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/17/the-4-types-of-audience-for-your-speech/) - This video is about 4 different types of audience that you can face as a speaker and how to adjust your objectives and manner of engagement to each of these distinct audience groups. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3ZAtIamu-4 The 4 Types of Audience There are four types of audience, and consequent persuasive strategy that you can come upon when
- [Learning Patience - Becoming Mindful of My Daily Activities](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/10/learning-patience-becoming-mindful-of-my-daily-activities/) - I share a tool that I have used to become mindful of my daily activities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ESos70WqaQ This video is from the IESE EMBA Intensive week and I share an exercise that I have been doing for the last few months - that has shown me that "feeling in a rush" is one of the big
- [TEDxIESEBarcelona 2018 - 10 Inspiring Speakers at IESE Business School Today](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/07/tedxiesebarcelona2018/) - The 3rd Edition of TEDxIESEBarcelona is on today. Here's the agenda, a link to the livestream and a playlist of previous talks. (If you can see the embedded viewer via email, check it out here on the blog). The Event has Finished. I will share the videos here when they become available. https://www.facebook.com/conor.neill/posts/10156026182645196 https://twitter.com/luis150861/status/982698813780561920 https://twitter.com/imgekayasabanci/status/982624230830432257
- [The Worst Excuse of All](https://conorneill.com/2018/04/03/the-worst-excuse-of-all/) - Today, I am in Seville. I've been procrastinating and delaying and avoiding making a video using the worst excuse of all. Watch the video to see if you are prone to use this particular version of the excuse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmR9LP8SjaQ If you liked this video, you might like to see a big list of 22 Excuses
- [Why Leaders Seek Coaches (the top 6 reasons)](https://conorneill.com/2018/03/27/why-leaders-seek-coaches-the-top-6-reasons/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlDELTab1hE The Top 6 Reasons why Leaders Seek Coaching Creating a 90-day plan Navigating Organization politics identifying tactics to deal with “politics” Managing work and life priorities achieving a workable “balance” Developing a strategy to grow your leadership presence Accelerating momentum in your current role Clarify goals and pinpoint how to achieve them
- [Love is a Generous Interpretation of the Actions of Others](https://conorneill.com/2018/03/13/love-is-a-generous-interpretation-of-the-actions-of-others/) - I'm in Dublin at my parent's house. Sunday morning, out for a run before a mother's day lunch with my family. I love to run the south Dublin country lanes up to the ruined Tully Church. "Old Tully Church lies abandoned in a now overgrown patch of land in the old Town land of Lehaunestown.
- [Working Session with Rich & Seb: How to Prepare Powerful Communications for Video, and for the Stage](https://conorneill.com/2018/03/07/working-session-with-rich-seb-how-to-prepare-powerful-communications-for-video-and-for-the-stage/) - This is a wide ranging collaborative video with Rich Mulholland and Seb Lora, two friends and great YouTubers. We talk about making videos, living as a paid speaker, how to become a well paid expert, how to make powerful engaging videos... and enjoy an afternoon hanging out in Barcelona. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3StLYGQchc We spoke about AIDA as
- [The 11 Differences Between Busy and Productive People](https://conorneill.com/2018/03/05/the-11-differences-between-busy-and-productive-people/) - One of my posts over at LinkedIn "11 Differences between Busy People and Productive People" was turned into a cool infographic by an author at Inc Magazines blog. Given that it has horses and unicorns on it, I wanted to share it here. Thanks Inc ;-) https://twitter.com/Inc/status/970436032142479361 Check out the article over at Inc: The
- [Freedom is difficult, but be careful of wishing for fences](https://conorneill.com/2018/02/27/freedom-is-difficult-but-be-careful-of-wishing-for-fences/) - Be careful what you wish for... In the Zoo, the animals are safe in their cages, they are fed 3 meals a day, the fence keeps out predators and competition (isn't that what Trump promised?). We have to be careful what we wish for. Freedom comes with a price, and that price is called responsibility.
- [Listening is Seeking to Be Changed by Another Person](https://conorneill.com/2018/02/20/listening-is-seeking-to-be-changed-by-another-person/) - Listening is a state of seeking to be changed by the other person. Listening is less about the ears, than about a state of openness to change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obuPB9OKV6k Hearing is different from all other senses in that it has a buffer, a short term memory of the last 8 seconds that we have heard. This
- [Good Enough is Not Enough](https://conorneill.com/2018/02/13/good-enough-is-not-enough/) - Do you have a Growth Mindset or a Fixed Mindset? This video is about the danger of being "good enough" in many things. As the world grows ever more connected, and ever more complex - those that accumulate a whole collection of "good enough" skills will suffer. Those that can choose to be bad in
- [Leading with Character, not with Charisma](https://conorneill.com/2018/02/06/leading-with-character-not-with-charisma/) - Often when people approach me to improve their communication skills, they are looking for tips and tricks to improve their charisma. It is much more powerful to work over the long term to develop your character as a leader. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHluDHVGUAI Character is formed over many, many years as you work to remove the pieces that
- [Why Change Fails: The 5 Types of People in Any Change Initiative](https://conorneill.com/2018/02/04/why-change-fails-the-5-types-of-people-in-any-change-initiative/) - This is a guest post from Ecatherine Matnadze, who serves as the Vistage Spain In-house Leadership Coach - working with me and the leadership team in clarifying goals and staying disciplined in our actions. When a change plan fails, it is more often than not due to the human dynamics inside the organisation. It doesn't
- [The World's Most Productive People](https://conorneill.com/2018/01/24/the-worlds-most-productive-people/) - The 3 most Productive per Hour countries are: Luxembourg Switzerland Norway The graph below gives one particular view of the level of productivity per hour for the world's countries. Mexico works lots of hours with little output, whilst Luxembourg work little hours with very high productivity. The horizontal axis represents annual hours worked and the
- [Commitment and Success](https://conorneill.com/2018/01/22/commitment-and-success/) - I spoke with one of my mentors in Madrid this week. We spoke about success in business. What is business success? What price is worth paying? What are the ingredients of achieving success? Is Business Success due to Great Decisions, or is it due to Excellent Implementation? I share his answer in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7f8IKw095g
- [What makes you a Well-Paid Expert?](https://conorneill.com/2010/03/29/what-makes-an-expert-different/) - This is relevant for anyone who communicates regularly from a position of authority – doctors, scientists, professors... 3 Types of Experts I have had several people who have expertise say to me "but I haven't been successful myself". Toni Nadal isn't better at tennis than Rafa, but he knows how to get results. Michael Porter
- [How to influence people who are close to you](https://conorneill.com/2018/01/16/how-to-influence-people-who-are-close-to-you/) - How can you influence people who are close to you without impacting the quality of your relationship? What do you do to influence a behaviour of your child? How do you speak to a friend with an addiction that is affecting their life? How can you help a family member with a poor habit that
- [Selecting the Right Chart for your Presentation](https://conorneill.com/2018/01/11/selecting-the-right-chart-for-your-presentation/) - What type of data would you like to show? How to Pick the Right Chart for your Data: There are 4 major types of data chart: Comparison Static Dynamic Composition Static Dynamic Distribution Single Variable Two Variables Multiple Variables Relationship Two variables Three variables
- [Purpose & Mastery: The harder to learn, the longer the passion lasts](https://conorneill.com/2018/01/09/purpose-mastery-the-harder-to-learn-the-longer-the-passion-lasts/) - This video is from up in the French Pyrenees. It is about learning to ski. It takes a few days of hard knocks to get to a level where you can even basically enjoy it. The skills that turn out to be passions in your life, they will take time to develop. Many people give
- [“not to fix broken things, like IT will do at a company, but build the future”.](https://conorneill.com/2017/12/31/not-to-fix-broken-things-like-it-will-do-at-a-company-but-build-the-future/) - I was reading about how the Washington Post has changed since it's purchase by Jeff Bezos. One of the quotes in the article struck a chord with me: “not to fix broken things, like IT will do at a company, but build the future”. Jeff Bezos brought in Jarrod Dicker to run technology development at
- [What went Wrong (2017)? What can go Right (2018)?](https://conorneill.com/2018/01/01/what-went-wrong-2017-what-can-go-right-2018/) - We had some unexpected happenings in 2017. Brexit, Trump's election as US President and the independence referendum in Spain were unwelcome surprises for me. I reflect on what happened in 2017 and what can go right in 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Jc0UYTKCg I wish you and yours a wonderful 2018.
- [3 Lessons from The Philosophy Book](https://conorneill.com/2017/12/27/3-lessons-from-the-philosophy-book/) - My dad gave me a book called "The Philosophy Book" for Christmas. Here are 3 entries that caught my attention and made it into today's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoLIndO1aUY
- [How to Become Mentally Strong: The Practice of Resilience](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/10/practicing-resilience/) - What is Resilience? Resilience: the ability to stay creative and motivated in an environment of chaos and change. Personally, I faced a huge time of chaos and change in late 2008. My company was going bankrupt and my family was falling apart. It is from this time of great difficulty that I learnt most
- [What I Say when I have Nothing to Say](https://conorneill.com/2017/12/19/what-i-say-when-i-have-nothing-to-say/) - I've made a video every week since November 2016 when Christoph Magnussen, Rich Mulholland and myself made a joint commitment during Entrepreneurs' Organisation Global Leadership Academy 2016. This week I had nothing to say. I had lots of excuses. I wanted to make the video last Friday... didn't. I wanted to make the video on
- [Success Lessons from Kung Fu Panda: Inner Peace and Accepting Who You Really Are](https://conorneill.com/2017/12/12/success-lessons-from-kung-fu-panda-inner-peace-and-accepting-who-you-really-are/) - "The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now" Po from Kung Fu Panda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBxODLkk6JI The number 2 film on my "all time most watched" list is Kung Fu Panda 2. It was my daughter's favourite during many of our travels together over the last decade. It is a film that had
- [Victor Frankl and Man's Search for Meaning](https://conorneill.com/2010/05/22/need-some-encouragement-victor-frankl-and-mans-search-for-meaning/) - "Suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end." The Four Noble Truths of the Buddhist philosophy Suffering is a human universal. M Scott Peck begins his book The Road Less Travelled with the words "Life is hard." Victor Frankl wrote a powerful book
- [Happiness 101: Learn to Eat Lentils](https://conorneill.com/2017/12/05/happiness-101-learn-to-eat-lentils/) - What is the activity that you could do for €10 that would give you the most happiness over 1 hour? for €100? for €1000? for €10,000? This video is from Dublin. My dad makes an appearance. Some scenes from the Ireland vs Argentina rugby, and from Trinity College and at UCD Smurfit Business Schools where
- [Learning from the Hard Times](https://conorneill.com/2017/11/28/learning-from-the-hard-times/) - I was in Washington recently and was inspired by spending time at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial and reflecting on the difficulties that he faced early in his life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQwVE7l7obs I also share a story about a poor villager, his horse and the wise man: "It may be good, it may be bad".
- [The Formula for Changing People](https://conorneill.com/2017/11/21/the-formula-for-changing-people/) - There is formula for changing people. Doctor Malik Mohammed shared this wisdom with the EO Global Leadership Academy last week in Washington, USA. If you are to change someone's behaviour patterns, two things are necessary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K2wThs0UtQ Learn more about Dr Malik Mohammed and watch Dr Malik Mohammed speaking.
- [As Leaders, We Each Have a Time Horizon We are Comfortable with...](https://conorneill.com/2017/11/17/as-leaders-we-each-have-a-time-horizon-we-are-comfortable-with/) - In the 1960s, while consulting for a British factory, Elliott Jaques had a controversial insight: Employees at different levels of the company had different time horizons. Line workers focused on tasks that could be completed in a single shift; managers devoted their energies to tasks requiring six months or more to complete; Senior leaders and
- [The 7 Triggers of Fascination](https://conorneill.com/2017/11/14/the-7-triggers-of-fascination/) - It doesn't matter how incredible your ideas are if nobody pays attention. It doesn't matter how great your business if you can't capture the attention and interest of customers, employees, investors and suppliers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vZuIeFk8DM There are 7 triggers of fascination. Power – Take command of the environment Pasion – Attract with emotion, irrational, irresistible charm
- [What is Mentorship?](https://conorneill.com/2016/11/14/what-is-mentorship/) - “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Isaac Newton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZkBGdloHUs In the words of Sir Isaac Newton, mentors extend our vision, enable us to attain greater heights. Mentors provide counsel and expand our resourcefulness. The word itself is inspired by the character of Mentor in Homer's Odyssey. The goddess Athena takes
- [Politics: The Dangers of Simple Answers and Angry Masses](https://conorneill.com/2017/10/31/politics-the-dangers-of-simple-answers-and-angry-masses/) - There is a lot of frustration and anger in the world. This has led to the election of Donald Trump, to the Brexit vote in the UK and to the Catalan independence movement here in Barcelona. On the declaration of independence here in Catalunya, I made this video reflecting on the last 18 months of
- [Fully Committed: Success comes from Putting 20x More behind your Opportunities](https://conorneill.com/2017/10/24/fully-committed-success-comes-from-putting-20x-more-behind-your-opportunities/) - This video is about a strategy for focussing your life's energy and resources into fewer but more strategic projects. (I tell a story that I have never told in class). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T4ULYopSCs How do you ensure that you are dedicating your efforts to what is really important in life, and not diluting your efforts, resources amongst
- [Finding Balance between Ambition and Peace of Mind, External vs Internal Success](https://conorneill.com/2017/10/17/finding-balance-between-ambition-and-peace-of-mind-external-vs-internal-success/) - "If someone followed your life and took 24 hours of film of everything you do for a day and they edited that into a one-hour documentary... the editor could decide to make you look like the worst villain ever or the greatest hero ever... it depends on which parts of your day he puts into
- [6 Media tips for Managers from the CEO of PR Partner, Inna Alexeeva](https://conorneill.com/2017/10/11/6-media-tips-for-managers-from-the-ceo-of-pr-partner-inna-alexeeva/) - This is a guest post by Inna Alexeeva, CEO of PR Partner, an IESE Global Executive MBA graduate and an expert in helping leaders work effectively with the press. Here she shares some tips for leaders in preparing for media interviews. How to speak with the Media Giving an interview to media is stressful for most people.
- [Leadership Development: Who Leads the Leaders?](https://conorneill.com/2017/10/10/leadership-development-who-leads-the-leaders/) - This video is about Leadership development. I find that leaders worry about the training for those around them... but who worries about the training for the leaders? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chU3ukEzygE What should Leaders be Learning? The 7 Key Skills of a Successful Business Leader At Vistage, we believe there are 8 major areas that Leaders need to
- [The Power of Perspective: The 4 Seasons of our Life](https://conorneill.com/2017/10/03/the-power-of-perspective-the-4-seasons-of-our-life/) - This video is about the 4 seasons of nature, and the 4 seasons of our life.Farmers understand the seasons - they don't plant in autumn and try to reap a harvest in winter... they know that spring is for planting, summer is for nurturing and autumn is for reaping. In our own lives we have
- [The 7 elements of an Entrepreneurial Elevator Pitch](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/23/the-7-elements-of-an-entrepreneurial-elevator-pitch/) - A good idea that nobody understands is worth nothing. Do you share your business idea in a way that people understand? The ability to clearly and concisely explain a business is important: in fund raising, in hiring and in selling to early customers. An elevator pitch is a simple outline of the business that quickly
- [The 1 Mental Hurdle That You Must Overcome to Succeed, by Billionaire Ray Dalio](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/26/the-1-mental-hurdle-that-you-must-overcome-to-succeed-by-billionaire-ray-dalio/) - Billionaire Ray Dalio is the founder of Bridgewater, one of the world's largest and best-performing hedge funds. Recently, Ray published his lessons in his book, Principles. Here's the opening paragraph of Ray Dalio's book... “Before I begin telling you what I think, I want to establish that I am a “dumb shit” who doesn’t know
- [Leaders Don’t Make Good Managers](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/20/leaders-dont-make-good-managers/) - This is a short excerpt of the full interview that I came across over at the NY Times corner office page. I loved the spirit of Jay Walker's answers... Jay Walker on Why Leaders Don't Always Make Good Managers Let’s say I came to work for you. What should I know about what you’re like
- [What makes a Great School? 100% Enthusiasm, 0% Cynicism... or lots of Music](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/19/what-makes-a-great-school-100-enthusiasm-0-cynicism-or-lots-of-music/) - I'd love you to leave a comment and tell me the answer to this question: Who is the most enthusiastic person that you know? Thanks, Conor Last night, I asked a retired inspector of schools: "What makes a great school?" His answer... "Music." He said that infallibly he would find a thriving musical scene in every
- [Finding Purpose and Defining a Vision for your Life](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/12/finding-purpose-and-defining-a-vision-for-your-life/) - Last week's blog post (Do you have inspiring goals?) triggered a wonderful response in emails and comments. I had many questions. A common question was about how to begin to find a purpose and define a vision for your life. This video shares a tool I found 8 years ago that had a major impact
- [Use your Brain for Thinking, not for Remembering](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/07/use-your-brain-for-thinking-not-for-remembering/) - Write stuff down. I say it over and over again. I repeat myself. My blog is an extension of my habit of writing down ideas. A short pencil is longer than the longest memory. “Writing is among the greatest inventions in human history, perhaps the greatest invention, since it made history possible. Yet it is
- [14 Things Highly Productive People Do Differently](https://conorneill.com/2013/01/06/highly-productive/) - I was prompted to write this post as I am finding the post-holiday return to discipline quite challenging. I heard somewhere that it takes 30 days to build a habit, and 1 day to lose it. Time to get the habits back again for 2013. 14 Ways to Get Things Done Start the day slowly
- [What is Leadership?](https://conorneill.com/2016/11/11/what-is-leadership/) - What do effective leaders actually do? There have people who have the title of leader, but they are not leaders. There are people who don’t have a title, but they are leaders. What is it that makes a person into a leader? There are 5 levels of leadership ...paraphrased by me, from the work of John
- [Do you have Inspiring Goals?](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/05/do-you-have-inspiring-goals/) - Here's a simple idea: Plan a life you would like to have. If you love your life now, stick to what is working. If you don't love your life right now, change something. Use your Imagination first Are you aiming at the right thing (or at any thing)? Start by describing in detail the life
- [Entrepreneurial Sales: 3 Keys to Successful Selling](https://conorneill.com/2017/09/05/entrepreneurial-sales-3-keys-to-successful-selling/) - This video is about 3 sales lessons that I have learnt running 5 businesses over the last 15 years as an entrepreneur and chief salesman. I thought I was good at sales when I first set up my own company. I was not. I had a lot to learn. Sales is about getting in front
- [Don't Sell to those who can't Buy (NINAs, LILAs and DEMAs) from Rich Mulholland](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/31/dont-sell-to-those-who-cant-buy-ninas-lilas-and-demas-from-rich-mulholland/) - A great short video on sales by entrepreneur and speaker Rich Mulholland. If you want to be successful in sales, don't sell to NINAs, don't sell to LILAs... focus on the DEMAs... If you are reading this via email, check out the video: Don't Sell to those who can't Buy https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdESe5mqoK_Ep-JPzSePzfpTHCdjZg6n3 A handy Glossary of
- [Life is Difficult. How to Handle it...  The Road Less Travelled by M Scott Peck](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/29/life-is-difficult-how-to-handle-it-the-road-less-travelled-by-m-scott-peck/) - This weeks video is inspired by a book: The Road Less Travelled, by M. Scott Peck. https://youtu.be/gTTDF1GYnkw The book begins with the statement "Life is difficult". It is my failure to understand this, believing that my life should be easy and problem-free that is the root of suffering. Life is not meant to be easy,
- [Success in Business (A Story from my 94 year old Uncle Jim)](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/22/success-in-business-a-story-from-my-94-year-old-uncle-jim/) - I was in Belfast this week to celebrate my father's birthday and spend some time with our relations in the north of Ireland. My great uncle Jim is 94 years old. He has always been a great teller of stories. This is a story I remember hearing from Jim years ago. It is about why
- [Influence: The 6 Moments of Power, How to Frame your Requests for More "Yes"](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/15/influence-the-6-moments-of-power-how-to-frame-your-requests-for-more-yes/) - This video is about Cialdini's 6 Moments of Power from his book "Influence". https://youtu.be/enX9TJoDoEI Here is Dr. Robert Cialdini's book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" About the Book Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in
- [What's the Most Important Lesson I have Learnt in Life?](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/08/whats-the-most-important-lesson-i-have-learnt-in-life/) - Last week, my 13 year old niece Natia asked me: “what is the most important lesson you have learnt in your life?” Natia was clearly quite serious (and had thought about her own answer), so I took a few minutes before responding. The video below explains my answer to her question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggw4goHfAGU How would you answer
- [The World as 100 People, over 200 years](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/02/the-world-as-100-people-over-200-years/) - Life is much better today than ever before. I guess the challenge is that we have improved all of the lower parts of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but lost a lot of the institutions and connections that helped people explore the higher elements of meaning, connection, significance and self-transcendence. Check out the improved quality of
- [The Complete Guide to Personal Habits: 158 Positive Reflections in 7 Categories to Be The Best Version of Yourself](https://conorneill.com/2016/05/02/the-complete-guide-to-personal-habits-158-positive-reflections-in-7-categories-to-be-the-best-version-of-yourself/) - It is 43 years since I was born, 25 since I finished school and 12 since I graduated with my MBA as seen in this picture below. I have written some notes on life every day since I was 14 years old. This long post is a summary of ideas that came from a review
- [How to Be Boring (5 Specific Areas to Develop)](https://conorneill.com/2017/08/01/how-to-be-boring-5-specific-areas-to-develop/) - This is the detailed guide to boring others. In this video from Portugal, I share the 5 best ways that you can develop an ability to bore the people around you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc8XqSeaOkA The 5 Specific Areas to Develop to Be Boring Negative Attitude No Interest in Others Stay in your Comfort Zone Be a People
- [Can you Guess these 20 Opera Plots in Emoji?](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/21/can-you-guess-these-20-opera-plots-in-emoji/) - It was #WorldEmojiDay just recently (I wasn't aware at the time, nor was I greatly aware of the need for this day...) It inspired the creative talent in London's Royal Opera House to tweet out a series of 20 opera plots in the form of Emoji characters... Can you guess these 20 opera plots in
- [LinkedIn Is Testing A New Feature That Matches You With A Mentor](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/17/linkedin-is-testing-a-new-feature-that-matches-you-with-a-mentor/) - LinkedIn is testing out a new free service for members that will match them with other professionals who can give them career advice. LinkedIn will help to make matches between mentees and mentors via its online platform. Mentorship is a significant part of the careers of every successful person that I know. I personally have
- [Innovation and the Creative Process: Ferran Adria's 3 Types of Innovation](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/18/innovation-and-the-creative-process-ferran-adrias-3-types-of-innovation/) - This video is about Innovation and the 3 types of innovation as described by Ferran Adrià, the world's best chef. He tells us that there are 3 levels of innovation... and that it is type 3 innovation that really moves humanity through a step change in progress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2exRUgXqCU Read more on Innovation on the blog:
- [CEO Leadership Success: The 3 Rules from the Turnaround Masters at Sequoia Capital](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/11/ceo-leadership-success-the-3-rules-from-the-turnaround-masters-at-sequoia-capital/) - This video is about Sequoia Capital and their 3 rules for success in leading a business. They make leadership feel very simple.. but it works. They have 30 years of track record of successfully taking on and turning around businesses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV3U7ccczF8 Their rules are: 30/30 80/20 & the golden rule: 90/10. More on Leadership What
- [3 Videos of Inspiration for the Weekend from Kilian Jornet](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/07/3-videos-of-inspiration-for-the-weekend-from-kilian-jornet/) - Kilian Jornet, 29, is widely considered the world’s best ultra-distance and mountain runner. Last month, he conquered Mount Everest twice in one week without using supplemental oxygen or fixed ropes. A project called Summits of My Life has taken him to the peaks of Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Denali and Aconcagua. Here's 3 videos of Kilian
- [How to Build Trust, Improve Relationships and Enhance the Quality of our Lives](https://conorneill.com/2017/07/04/how-to-build-trust-improve-relationships-and-enhance-the-quality-of-our-lives/) - This video is about Building Trust - and how building Trust will Improve Relationships and the Enhance the Quality of our Lives. After you have food and shelter, it is the quality of the relationships that really make your life. Relationships are about trust. Where there is no trust, there is no relationship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCadnoPTrOw I'd
- [Failing is not so Bad, A cheque payable to "Regret"](https://conorneill.com/2017/06/30/failing-is-not-so-bad-a-cheque-payable-to-regret/) - "The people in the market for boring are spoiled for choice" Rich Mulholland "All the good shit is reserved for those who put their hands up." Rich Mulholland All the good stuff is just beyond the rejection, the looking like a fool, the bad first impression, the being laughed at... if you censor yourself, you
- [Finding a better strategy for Life, use the flow of the River](https://conorneill.com/2017/06/27/finding-a-better-strategy-for-life-use-the-flow-of-the-river/) - Sometimes we paddle frantically and make no progress, other times we make little effort to accelerate and see great advances in our life. What if we spent more time seeing the flow of our life, and not so much time in frantic paddling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIbnnDBKPn8 Mastermind groups such as Vistage, EO or YPO are powerful in
- [The Hidden Secret Of Success | Raúl Cristian Aguirre](https://conorneill.com/2017/06/21/the-hidden-secret-of-success-raul-cristian-aguirre/) - I had the pleasure of attending TEDxIESEBarcelona a couple of months ago. My good friend and fellow EO member Raul Aguirre gave a passionate talk on a special secret that has led to his success. The hidden secret that led to Raul's success This talk reveals new insight about the real reasons of success of
- [Resilience and Mental Toughness: 3 Qualities of Mentally Strong People](https://conorneill.com/2017/06/13/resilience-and-mental-toughness-3-qualities-of-mentally-strong-people/) - Resilience or Mental Toughness is the capacity of some people to stay strong in the difficult times, when challenges abound, when the receive the blows of life. Some fall apart and cannot function, whilst a few stay strong and find the path through. What are the 3 tools of mentally tough people? If you are
- [18 Influence Methods to Move People to Action](https://conorneill.com/2017/06/06/18-influence-methods-to-move-people-to-action/) - This video shares 18 Influence Methods that can help you Move People to take Action, and then stay committed to the course of action. If you are reading this via email, the video is on the blog 18 Influence Methods to Move People to Action https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3cvNhT8Kec The 18 Methods are: Achieve Short Term Action - Use
- [The Simplest Definition of Success](https://conorneill.com/2017/05/30/the-simplest-definition-of-success/) - I have worried for too much of my life about whether I am a success or not. This video shares the simplest and most empowering definition of success that I have found. It comes from Pema Chodron. It is a wonderful reflection for me about how I am living my life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybgk1xyr3g4 Am I learning
- [Getting Comfortable is Deadly](https://conorneill.com/2017/05/23/getting-comfortable-is-deadly/) - A Goldfish only grows as large as it needs to. In a small tank, it grows to about 2 inches. The bigger its environment, the more challenges it can face: the larger it can grow. It is the same with each of us as human beings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eelQecDLM1g Are you in too safe and comfortable an
- [Verne Harnish's 5 Habits of The Leaders that will Succeed over this Coming Decade](https://conorneill.com/2017/05/16/verne-harnishs-5-habits-of-the-leaders-that-will-succeed-over-this-coming-decade/) - This video is about Verne Harnish's 5 habits of the Leaders that will succeed in the next decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLPs2CLC-CI The 5 habits are: Ratio of "No" to "Yes" Meals with Influencers Calender hours on Gold Chip actions Total brains involved in your decisions Regular Reading and Thinking Time Verne C. Harnish founded Entrepreneurs' Organization, and the
- [Should all Leaders start a YouTube Channel? | with Christoph Magnussen](https://conorneill.com/2017/05/02/should-all-leaders-start-a-youtube-channel-with-christoph-magnussen/) - This is an interview that I recorded with Christoph Magnussen during the EO Global Leadership Conference recently. It is part of a series of video blogs that Christoph is producing called: WorkDay Vlog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7tO_fyMhEU Christoph has some great videos on his channel Workday Vlog and Worktools - covering the new way of work, cloud tools
- [Excellence: The Path to Mastery](https://conorneill.com/2017/05/02/excellence-the-path-to-mastery/) - Jack Daly says "you are either practicing in private, or you are practicing in public". This video is about Excellence. What is the path to Mastery? What do successful people do differently? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph_DcIx8G2A Success is the choice to practice in private. in this video, I also celebrate this week's milestone: 50,000 subscribers! Thank you to
- [3 Life Lessons I learnt from Golf](https://conorneill.com/2017/04/25/3-life-lessons-i-learnt-from-golf/) - When I was young, golf was a big part of our family. This video is about 3 life lessons that I learnt from golf. https://youtu.be/9ASibrrAeiw When I was 10 my parents bought a summer house 40km from Dublin that was next to a golf course. My brothers and sister all grew up with golf all
- [Branding 101](https://conorneill.com/2017/04/17/branding-101/) - The most simple rule of product branding: You are either: Different Better Cheaper or Not Going to Be Around Very Long Which are you? If you are not 100% clear on your answer, I recommend taking some time to work through this Value Proposition Canvas developed by Alex Osterwalder. You can get more information and
- [We are Blind to anything beyond our Imagination, A story of a lost tribe in Papua New Guinea](https://conorneill.com/2017/04/18/we-are-blind-to-anything-beyond-our-imagination-a-story-of-a-lost-tribe-in-papua-new-guinea/) - This is a story about a lost tribe in Papua New Guinea. They were brought to the city of Singapore and shown skyscrapers, airports, factories, supermarkets, homes and life. When they were on their way back to their mountain village, they were asked: "What is the most incredible thing you have seen during your days
- [4 Public Speaking Lessons from the IESE EMBA team 2017 | Anagor, Mueck, Rodrigues and Zimmer](https://conorneill.com/2017/04/11/4-public-speaking-lessons-from-the-iese-emba-team-2017-anagor-mueck-rodrigues-and-zimmer/) - This video comes from IESE during the Executive MBA (EMBA) intensive week in Barcelona. Florian Mueck, John Zimmer, Tony Anagor and Tobias Rodrigues all share wisdom on: public speaking hand gestures giving constructive feedback and the powerful pause https://youtu.be/zRGi2HKibbw The Guests on this Week's Video: Florian Mueck, http://www.florianmueck.com, on the 4 types of Gestures 2:18
- [Why do Stories work in Persuasion?](https://conorneill.com/2017/04/04/why-do-stories-work-in-persuasion/) - What makes them so effective in moving audiences to commit to action? Why is there currently an explosion of story courses, story gurus, business storytellers? If you are reading this via email, you can watch the video on the blog: Why do Stories work in Persuasion? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ux-qsw0PS4 What is a Story? We think of stories
- [Your Success lives outside your Comfort Zone | Wise words from Kafka, Mueck, Anagor and Mills](https://conorneill.com/2017/03/28/your-success-lives-outside-your-comfort-zone-wise-words-from-kafka-mueck-anagor-and-mills/) - Getting out of your Comfort Zone. I'm on a Sunday hike with Florian and his son Alvaro. We're on our way toward the restaurant for lunch, when we find the river is overflowing and the foot bridge is under fast flowing water... What do we do? Are you waiting for permission? For the important things
- [Our Path to Growth is Always Through Difficulty](https://conorneill.com/2017/03/23/our-path-to-growth-is-always-through-difficulty/) - This is a guest post from April Abboud. April Abboud is a successful American entrepreneur who has moved to the Middle East. She gave up the business she grew, the culture she knew and having family close by to start a family in a land thousands of miles away. She has chosen to challenge herself
- [Why are Experts so often poor Communicators? This is why...](https://conorneill.com/2017/03/21/why-are-experts-so-often-poor-communicators-this-is-why/) - Why are Experts so often poor Communicators? Here is why... If you are reading this via email, check out the video on the blog: Why are Experts so often poor Communicators? https://youtu.be/J7sEWV5z39o This is a video about Experts and Fakes, Charlatans and Gurus. I share a 2x2 matrix looking at the 4 types of skill/communication
- [Success is a few good habits repeated every day, failure is...](https://conorneill.com/2017/03/14/success-is-a-few-good-habits-repeated-every-day-failure-is/) - Jim Rohn had a wonderful saying: "Success is a few good habits repeated every day, Failure is a few bad decisions repeated every day" If you are reading this via email, the video is here Success is a Few Good Habits Repeated Every Day https://youtu.be/W_QD86uXxRY An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is
- [How to Improve your Clarity of Thought](https://conorneill.com/2017/03/07/how-to-improve-your-clarity-of-thought/) - "A problem well stated is a problem half solved" Charles Kettering The most read post ever on this blog is Amazon Staff Meetings: "No Powerpoint". It shares the story of how Jeff Bezos banned powerpoint from management meetings at Amazon. His reason: "powerpoint is easy for the presenter and hard for the listener". At Amazon,
- [Highly Effective People - Habit #7 "Sharpen the Saw"](https://conorneill.com/2017/02/21/highly-effective-people-habit-7-sharpen-the-saw/) - This week's video is about Steven Covey's 7th Habit of Highly Effective People: Sharpen the Saw. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIUXN-zPI1E Burning yourself out is no service to anyone. Running your car without changing the oil will destroy the engine. Running at 100% all day and all night will destroy your own
- [[Video] The 5 States of Human Performance (From the Coaches Perspective)](https://conorneill.com/2017/02/14/video-the-5-states-of-human-performance-from-the-coaches-perspective/) - You are at one of these 5 places in your life... If you are reading this post via email, you can watch the video here: The 5 States of Human Performance (From the Coaches Perspective) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZdXEkVOwC4 The 5 States of Human Performance The 9 minute video shares a tip for how to move forward from
- [Start with the End in Mind (Learn to Use your Imagination)](https://conorneill.com/2017/02/07/start-with-the-end-in-mind/) - Genetically we differ 2% from chimpanzees and 3% from worms. Our big difference is the cortex, the upper layer of the brain. The cortex is the home of imagination. Imagination gives us the choice to live intentionally. We can make a choice: lead a life that is not just response to stimuli, but building towards
- [You are in one of these 5 places](https://conorneill.com/2017/02/05/goal-oriented/) - Chris Brogan's recent post had a section that said "you are at one of these 5 places in your life"... The 5 Places of Life You know your goal and you’re going after it. You know your goal and you’re stuck and can’t find your way there. You know your goal and you are letting distractions win.
- [Be for things](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/28/be-for-things/) - It is easy to point out why things are wrong. It is easy to point out why someone or some policy is flawed. It is easy to make a list of reasons why you should not do something. You only get to do this cynicism* if you can tell me one thing that you are
- [How to Improve your Sales Process (4 Personal Habits to Develop)](https://conorneill.com/2017/01/24/how-to-improve-your-sales-process-4-personal-habits-to-develop/) - I'm committed to sharing 1 new youtube video each week for the whole of 2017. This is week 4 and my video today is "How to Improve your Sales Process (4 Personal Habits to Develop)" PS As of last night... I've updated my channel graphical look. I'd welcome your thoughts on the new look Rhetorical
- [Finding Courage as a Leader](https://conorneill.com/2017/01/16/finding-courage-as-a-leader/) - Today is Martin Luther King Day. Martin Luther King had courage as a leader to stand up for what is right. He was willing, and did finally, pay the full price as a leader. Update: I recorded a Facebook Live video session about this post and Bill Treasurer's new book: https://www.facebook.com/rhetorical/posts/10154264112781989 Bill Treasurer's latest book, "A
- [How Donald Trump Speaks](https://conorneill.com/2017/01/13/how-donald-trump-speaks/) - “How stupid are our leaders?” “How stupid are they?” “I’m really rich” “Politicians are all talk, no action” “huge,” “terrible,” “beautiful.” Any guesses which political leader made these statements? "he prefers simple language" Jon Favreau, Obama speechwriter How Donald Trump Speaks Donald Trump dominates a specific type of rhetoric. His speaking is radically different to every
- [Setting Goals for 2017](https://conorneill.com/2017/01/04/setting-goals-for-2017/) - https://youtu.be/bKEooZpMOgo?list=PLdESe5mqoK_EQOK2lmiuoPRKKBRUQwqEe If you are reading this via email, watch the video on the blog: Setting Goals for 2017 Each year I decide on a few words that set the theme for the year. Last year was Connect, Create, Complete. This year I have set Unconditional Peace of Mind as the theme. I will explain more on
- [We Must Learn to Spot "Fake" Leaders](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/24/we-must-learn-to-spot-fake-leaders/) - Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett call them "chauffeur" leaders. I call them fake leaders. All noise, no delivery. All bluster, no execution. Bill Treasurer calls them Pigheads and Weaklings. We must learn to see behind the show, the presentation skills. Is the person a leader, or a "chauffeur" leader. Listen to the video below to
- [How the US President Plans his Days](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/23/how-the-us-president-plans-his-days/) - Do you plan your days, or do your days run as a reaction to what pops up? In Washington DC, one of our EO leaders at the EO Leadership Academy was Christoph Magnussen - here in this he shares a tip we learnt about how to take control of your day. This is a lesson
- [Persuasive Speaking. The four types of audience.](https://conorneill.com/2009/12/20/persuasive-speaking-the-four-types-of-audience/) - I am a regular user of Apple iTunes University. On the late night Aer Lingus flight over from Barcelona to Dublin yesterday, I was listening to Jeffrey Anderson of Regent University deliver a lecture on Persuasive Communication. I like his thinking on audience analysis. The 4 Types of Audience There are four types of audience,
- [Purpose and Vision Beats Opportunism](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/15/purpose-and-vision-beats-opportunism/) - Two Approaches to Life My friends live their lives in one of two contrasting ways: Guided by a Long term Vision for their Lives Take Opportunities as they come In the short term, the opportunists made great early progress. I have one friend who changed job every 1-2 years in the investment banking industry. Each
- [Freedom is not Fun](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/01/freedom-is-not-fun/) - "You can take my life, but you cannot take my freedom" William Wallace (through the mouth of Mel Gibson) Freedom sounds like good stuff. Generations have fought and died to allow us the individual freedom that we enjoy today. Freedom is not the freedom from something, it is the freedom to choose to do or not
- [Leadership: First, Control your Time](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/12/leadership-first-control-your-time/) - Yesterday I shared an interview with Christoph Magnussen reviewing lessons from #EOLA16. Here's another smidgin of wisdom from Entrepreneurs' Organisation Leadership Academy 2016. In this video, Rich Mulholland, an entrepreneur from South Africa shares his reflections on two key moments during the leadership academy: A re-enactment of the Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream" speech,
- [Lessons from EO Leadership Academy 2016 - Washington DC](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/11/lessons-from-eo-leadership-academy-2016-washington-dc/) - I was in Washington DC the last 6 days teaching on the Entrepreneurs' Organisation Leadership Academy 2016. We had 28 leaders from all around the world - China, Nepal, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Canada, Germany, Australia, USA, UK. The White House was being prepared for the inauguration of the next US President. Christophe Magnussen is an
- [The 4 Positive Leadership Styles (and the 2 Most Negative...)](https://conorneill.com/2016/12/02/4-positive-leadership-styles/) - What Makes a Leader? Daniel Goleman's article "What makes a Leader?" is the single most requested article in the history of the Harvard Business Review. He looked at what leaders actually do, and what impact these behaviours have on the people around them. Goleman is the psychologist who introduced the term "Emotional Intelligence" to the
- [Interview: Oscar Contreras, Entrepreneur and Author](https://conorneill.com/2016/11/28/interview-oscar-contreras-entrepreneur-and-author/) - This post is an interview with Oscar Contreras who has recently published the book “B2U” (Business To You and Be To You), a guide to personal branding and entrepreneurship. Oscar Contreras is a former Division Manager for EA Games. He worked on big hits like “The Sims”. Brand Ambassador, Personal Branding and B2U Evangelist. Currently
- [Three Life Paths](https://conorneill.com/2016/11/18/three-life-paths/) - University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman categorised hundreds of people into three groups based on how they pursued happiness: The Pleasant Life: People in pursuit of the Pleasant Life seek happiness by looking for pleasure. They are good at savouring the moment and making their pleasures last. The Engaged Life: People in pursuit of the
- [Brad Feld's Startup Rule #1](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/05/brad-felds-startup-rule-1/) - Startup Rule #1 from Brad Feld: Get a mentor. Love your mentor. Embrace your mentor. Stay close to your mentor. Listen. Ask questions. Check out his video on Bloomberg TV. The worst pitches? Totally incomprensible, you keep looking for the genius in the madness... but you just can't find it. (7 vital elements of a
- [Conor Neill, Interview with Axiom Groupe](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/12/conor-neill-interview-with-axiom-groupe/) - I gave a short talk at the Axiom Groupe HR and Shared Service Centers Conference in Barcelona recently. They made a short interview video during the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FO3IGQjlt4 We talk about the IESE Business School, Leadership communication, persuasion and the process of turning potential into performance.
- [How to Be a Good Mentor](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/25/how-to-be-a-good-mentor/) - The Art of Mentorship I just posted a short presentation to slideshare: The Art of Mentorship 3 Types of Mentor Sponsor (or Advocate) - puts their reputation on the line and takes responsibility for your personal success. Protege = “one who is protected”. Protege must do everything in his power to make the sponsor look
- [3 key words for better Friendships... and Happiness...](https://conorneill.com/2016/10/25/3-key-words-for-better-friendships-and-happiness/) - Happy People share one characteristic in common. There are many different approaches to happiness, and many varied approaches... but there is one vital ingredient. It is very hard to find someone who is happy who doesn't have strong, quality friendships and a satisfying romantic relationship. (Even imaginary friends help. Children with imaginary friends are more
- [The Urgent and The Important](https://conorneill.com/2016/10/21/the-urgent-and-the-important/) - In a 1954 speech to the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, former U.S. President Eisenhower said: "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." Robert Glazer shared this simple but powerful life management tool on his blog today
- [Are you motivated by Pain or motivated by Gain?](https://conorneill.com/2016/10/16/are-you-motivated-by-pain-or-motivated-by-gain/) - Pain or Gain? There are two fundamental drives to human action: Avoidance of Pain Seeking of Gain. This is how we work. There are no other external causes of action. We take action when we truly believe: It will avoid a Pain, or We truly believe it will deliver a Gain. If I am not
- [Relationship First, Persuasion Second](https://conorneill.com/2016/10/14/relationship-first-persuasion-second/) - I was listening to the Very Bad Wizards podcast episode #97 on how we really change our minds. They discuss a manifesto for a new virtual country called Rationalia that was initially shared on social media by Neil Degrasse Tyson. Here's a very good reflection from Neil on the controversy triggered by his suggestion. In
- [The best from "Wait but Why?"](https://conorneill.com/2016/10/04/the-best-from-wait-but-why/) - I love the blog of Tim Urban: Wait but Why. He gave a TED talk a year or so ago, but I think it is best to get to know him through his mastery of the quirky doodle & story form that he delivers in his blog. These are some of my favourite posts, so
- [Do you Have the Wrong Mission?](https://conorneill.com/2016/10/03/do-you-have-the-wrong-mission/) - I made a little change to the classic story about 3 men building a cathedral... Working on a Cathedral In the distance I see the construction site of a future cathedral. I approach the site and see three men laying bricks. I approach the first man and ask "what are you doing?" He says "I am
- [What Makes A Great TED Talk](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/30/what-makes-a-great-ted-talk/) - Here's June Cohen, Executive Producer at TED Media, sharing her answers to What makes a great TED Talk? What are the elements of a great TED Talk? and What makes a TED.com talk? She passionately outlines her experience of what types of talks will "go viral". The Ingredients of a Great TED talk In this
- [TEDx Talk Summary: Who would you bet on?](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/27/tedx-talk-summary-who-would-you-bet-on/) - 3 Ingredients for Success in Life @Saminsights shared a wonderful 1 page graphic summary of my TEDx talk from 2013. https://www.instagram.com/p/BKxuIssB-99/ The Original Talk Who would you bet on? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXCiv4sc5eY
- ["Be water, my friend" Bruce Lee](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/18/be-water-my-friend-bruce-lee/) - "Be water my friend." Bruce Lee What does Bruce Lee mean? What is it to "be water"? On "being water" What is it to "be water"? Water flows and adapts. It has no plan, but deals with the environment that it finds. It fully explores the space. It has no expectations of what it will
- [Idleness is Difficult](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/21/idleness-is-difficult/) - “It is not necessary for a man to be actively bad in order to make a failure in life; simple inaction will accomplish it. Nature has everywhere written her protest against idleness; everything which ceases to struggle, which remains inactive, rapidly deteriorates. It is the struggle toward an ideal, the constant effort to get higher
- [What does the Board do?](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/16/what-does-the-board-do/) - This post describes Corporate Boards - What do they do? How do I join one? and What are my responsibilities as a Director? A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization, which can include a non-profit organization or a government agency
- [Taking the Long Cut](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/07/taking-the-long-cut/) - Lots of people are searching for short cuts. If you are going through something just to get the diploma, then by all means take short cuts. You don't really care about the journey. If you are determined to grow a life that becomes more and more fulfilling and you have a sense of growth and
- [A team can be heaven or hell: what makes the difference?](https://conorneill.com/2016/09/06/great-teams/) - A team can be heaven, a team can be hell: what makes the difference? This is a story I shared a few months ago during the ACE16 conference at Harvard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD8zua1g2ys The story of Heaven and Hell There's a man that all his life he's had one singular worry. He wakes up every morning with
- [Fear of an Ordinary Life, Part 2](https://conorneill.com/2016/08/15/fear-of-an-ordinary-life-part-2/) - I ran out of battery on my iphone this afternoon while sitting in starbucks. I was waiting for 2 people. I had to stay. It was good that I ran out of battery, because I ended up looking at Tibidabo mountain for 30 minutes and thinking about life. I was thinking about my post on
- [Fear of an Ordinary Life](https://conorneill.com/2016/08/14/fear-of-an-ordinary-life/) - My anxiety: It's not FOMO but FOOL Last week, I was given the thoughtful gift of a book "How to be Bored". It describes the anxiety arising from the Fear Of Missing Out, made famous as FOMO. I have a hard time sitting at home doing nothing productive. I have a sense that I am
- [Seven Leadership Lessons From Brexit](https://conorneill.com/2016/08/01/seven-leadership-lessons-from-brexit/) - "Leadership is the art of making difficult judgments in the face of uncertainty, and it is about shaping a path for others to follow." Prof. Julian Birkinshaw, London Business School. Professor Birkinshaw provides 7 lessons from the political turmoil of Brexit - about how to fail, and occasionally how to succeed as a leader. Business
- [Agonizing over Decisions](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/11/agonizing-over-decisions/) - The human condition: to be aware that we are free to take decisions and that these decisions can turn out to be poor choices. It is normal to suffer and regret decisions. Nobody has an anxiety-free life: not even in the movies, not even in romantic songs. Alain de Botton shares a wise insight into existential crises
- [Commencement Speech: Emmanuel Faber - "Who is your Brother?"](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/10/commencement-speech-emmanuel-faber-who-is-your-brother/) - I've just added another great Commencement speech to my youtube playlist: Commencement Speeches Emmanuel Faber gave the commencement address at HEC this year, 2016. The first half is in french, the last in english. Emmanuel tells a powerful personal story, describes 3 diseases, and asks us a question... This is a powerful speech. You've got to watch
- [All life demands struggle.](https://conorneill.com/2014/07/06/all-life-demands-struggle/) - I often use an exercise called The Lifeline in my teaching. I found a good summary of the exercise here. In the exercise people reflect on the important positive and negative experiences of their life. Something that has struck me after all these years of watching groups work on the exercise - it is the
- [The #1 Reason I am Inefficient.](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/08/the-1-reason-i-am-inefficient/) - This graphic captures it all... Thanks to XKCD for the original. "I take good decisions and then I work to make them great." It reminds me of a story about one of the founders of Tata Industrial group. He was asked "How do you take good decisions?" He paused before answering: "I don't do anything
- [6 keys to leading positive change: Rosabeth Moss Kanter](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/06/6-keys-to-leading-positive-change-rosabeth-moss-kanter/) - Do you want to start something? Do you want to grow something? Do you want to make the world a better place? Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a Harvard Professor that has spent her life looking at what it takes for leaders to get things done. 6 Keys to Leading Positive Change Show up - if
- [I know this guy who was successful (otherwise known as Type I errors)](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/05/i-know-this-guy-who-was-successful-otherwise-known-as-type-i-errors/) - One anecdote does not make a proof. The danger: humans are more easily persuaded by 1 clear and concrete anecdote than by big data and expert statistical analysis. "My friend's brother bought a house in downtown Barcelona 2 years ago and is now selling it at twice the price!" This statement has far more impact
- [The United Kingdom's Greek Tragedy: The downfall of Boris](https://conorneill.com/2016/07/01/the-united-kingdoms-greek-tragedy-the-downfall-of-boris/) - Yesterday, Boris Johnson was on a triumphal march to the leadership of the UK. Today, his career lies in ruins. What happened? Tragedy is "a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes an accompanying catharsis or pleasure in audiences" (from wikipedia). The essence of Tragedy is that the hero's greatest strength will end up
- [How to Learn Charisma (17 Specific Practice-able Tactics)](https://conorneill.com/2016/06/15/how-to-learn-charisma-17-specific-practice-able-tactics/) - What is charisma? Charisma means “special gift” in Greek. It is something that allows some people to magnetically attract others to them and their projects. Is it innate or can it be learnt? According to John Antonakis, Marika Fenley and Sue Liechti in the Harvard Business Review June 2012 article "Learning Charisma", it is learnt. How to Learn
- [What I teach...](https://conorneill.com/2016/06/09/what-i-teach/) - I have the privilege of teaching at a number of top business schools around the world. Last week I gave classes at Harvard and at MIT. This is a video from IEEM Business School in Montevideo, Uruguay where I spend a week each October teaching on their MBA and Executive Leadership programs. The video is a
- [16 Lessons from HR Directors Summit 2016](https://conorneill.com/2016/06/06/16-lessons-from-hr-directors-summit-2016/) - I wrote up a list of lessons that were shared by speakers during the HR Directors Summit last week. Your learning rate is your earning rate Uncertainty is always filled by negatives Catch people doing something right and recognise it immediately Let leaders do the leading (HR supports leaders in the business, it doesn't replace
- [Speaking at European HR Director Summit](https://conorneill.com/2016/06/02/speaking-at-european-hr-director-summit/) - I had the privilege to deliver a keynote session at the European HR Director Summit yesterday. It was inspiring to be surrounded by 200 senior HR people thinking about making work engaging and meaningful for the people at their companies. AkzoNobel decorative paint division put 17,000 people through a 3 day reflection on who they
- [The 4 Kinds of Work](https://conorneill.com/2016/05/20/the-4-kinds-of-work/) - There are 2 ways to categorize work: cognitive or manual repetitive or non-repetitive. 4 Kinds of Work There are basically 4 kinds of work: Manual repetitive - Assembly line factory worker, farm labourer Cognitive repetitive - Call center operative, Bank teller Manual non-repetitive - Jewellery maker, Custom car builder Cognitive non-repetitive - Project manager, Sales of large complex
- [Zero Executive Presence: "When I speak, people don't listen.  Why is that?"](https://conorneill.com/2016/05/09/zero-executive-presence-when-i-speak-people-dont-listen-why-is-that/) - Student: "When I speak, people don't listen. Why is that?" Teacher: "It depends..." It always depends... There are many possible reasons that people don't engage with you, don't care about what you are going to say, don't pay attention. Rarely does anyone come to me and say "I need help. I am boring." However, this condition is
- [Entrepreneurship 2.0: The rise of the Growth Hacker](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/07/entrepreneurship-growth-hacker/) - We are coming up to Global Entrepreneurship Week #GEW next week, November 12-18. Organizations all over the world will be putting on events sharing the entrepreneur experience as widely as possible. Events in Spain are listed at the bottom of this post. Entrepreneurship 2.0: The rise of the Growth Hacker. In 1995 the web consisted
- [Charlie Munger's Inverse Thinking Process](https://conorneill.com/2016/05/08/charlie-mungers-inverse-thinking-process/) - I was watching a few Charlie Munger speeches recently - Warren Buffett's partner in leading Berkshire Hathaway. Charlie talks a lot about "Inverse Thinking"... The Inverse Thinking Process What is Inverse Thinking? Charlie says it is helpful to turn a question on its head. If you want to know what would improve the situation of
- [What do you want to be when you grow up?](https://conorneill.com/2016/05/04/what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up/) - Idris: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Haha... what? me... I think I'm a little too old for that" Idris: "You do realise that you are still growing?" "Hmmm... you mean... The Dream?" Idris: "Yes, The Dream?" "I don't think people have enough time to dream. Real life gets in the
- [Making Improvements: The Path to Mastery](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/28/making-improvements-the-path-to-mastery/) - The Path to Mastery The path to mastery is steady, small, incremental improvements repeated over and over again. There is no shortcut to mastery. There is a mode of operating that allows mastery. This mode is the 1% improvement mode. Do you focus on the 1% improvements? What small change will you make today? Please
- [There are no Answers, Just Stories](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/27/there-are-no-answers-just-stories/) - On success, there is no one right answer: You cannot learn absolute rules from another person. You cannot take the life recipe of another person. You can learn from their stories, but only you will take what you take from a story. Seek out Stories Tribes, civilisations and families have found that life lessons are
- [How to Put Together a Killer Presentation](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/26/how-to-put-together-a-killer-presentation/) - How to Put Together a Killer Presentation A simple infographic that will take you through the steps to create a killer presentation, presented by London Speakers Bureau. Thanks to London Speaker Bureau ;-)
- [The #1 Obstacle in Teaching Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/25/the-1-obstacle-in-teaching-leadership/) - The mission of the IESE Business School, where I teach about 1,000 EMBA, MBA and Senior Management participants each year, is to “develop leaders who aspire to have a deep, lasting and positive impact on people, firms and society” and I have spent a lot of the last 13 years attempting to find a way to
- [Teaching Ethics in Schools](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/24/teaching-ethics-in-schools/) - This is a guest post from Riya Sander. Riya is an overseas teacher. She has spent her past 5 years teaching in Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines. All too often, I hear adults tell children to simply “do the right thing”. This is not enough. We need to help children figure out: what is the right
- [The Incredible Magic of Mariano Torrente](https://conorneill.com/2016/04/13/the-incredible-magic-of-mariano-torrente/) - "There is magic in front of us... if we pay attention." Mariano Torrente This is the first video released by the TED organisation from the recent TEDxIESEBarcelona event. Mariano Torrente is a magician who will graduate with the MBA class of 2016. (Watch it here.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_GTipx3As Where Amazing Happens Amazing things happen right in front
- [3 Steps to Improve Your Concentration](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/31/3-steps-to-improve-your-concentration/) - I recently shared a TEDx talk from Dandapani on How to Concentrate. This is a follow up post, with 3 specific steps to improve your concentration (here Dandapani refers to it as willpower). 3 Steps to Practice that Will Improve Your Concentration Dandapani tells us that there are 3 steps to practice that improve our concentration:
- [6 Questions to Ask Yourself Every Day to be a Leader](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/30/6-questions-to-ask-yourself-every-day-to-be-a-leader/) - I came across a TEDx talk today by Drew Dudley about Leadership. It is called "Creating cultures of leadership". He explains his first ever class on leadership. After the class, a participant came up and said "I thought I understood leadership, but now I don't. Could you explain exactly what you mean by leadership?" He could
- [Keynote at Mobile World Congress #4YFN 2016 - Entrepreneurial Success](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/25/keynote-at-mobile-world-congress-4yfn-2016-entrepreneurial-success/) - Keynote: The 3 Keys for Entrepreneurial Success When I was 14 years old, my grandfather told me that "Success is earning more than your father." This talk shares how my definition of success has changed over the next 3 decades of my life. My definition today... listen at the end of the speech. What is
- [How to Concentrate](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/25/how-to-concentrate/) - I met Dandapani at EO Instanbul University and have since met him in Barcelona when he came to run a 1 day retreat for our chapter of the EO organisation. He spent 10 years as a Hindu monk, and now shares what he learnt about using our mind and our awareness in an intentional manner.
- [The Wrong Thing to Live for](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/24/the-wrong-thing-to-live-for/) - Imagine looking back at the age of 75 and realising that you chose the wrong thing to live for? Realising that all those years of work and sacrifice were for something that you now do not value? Living to Please Elizabeth Over at the excellent Art of Manliness blog there is a recent post about Walter Raleigh.
- [The Greatest Coaching Question of All Time](https://conorneill.com/2012/10/07/the-greatest-coaching-question-of-all-time/) - I recently finished a 4 day, intense persuasive communication course with 142 Executive MBAs. We heard almost 300 speeches. I worked with the coaching team of Florian, Tobias, John and Tony. Each told a story of the person, the change they seek in the world, the reasoning. By the end of the week, these stories were
- ["Miracle": Doesn't Mean it Doesn't Work](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/18/miracle/) - Miracle doesn't mean it doesn't work, it means we don't understand how it works. There are plenty of things I don't understand, but I know they work. Plant a seed, grow a tree. I don't understand all that happens in the growing of a tree, but I do know that planting an acorn, watering and
- [Planting Seeds of Success (and of Failure)](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/16/planting-seeds-of-success-and-of-failure/) - Success doesn't come overnight, but neither does failure. We plant seeds every day, seeds of success and seeds of failure. Some seeds take years to grow - lack of exercise doesn't grow into the tree of ill health for many decades; €100 saved per month doesn't grow into € millions for many decades. Today a court
- [Making Changes that Stick, Building Good Habits [Video]](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/03/making-changes-that-stick-building-good-habits-video/) - Here's a video I shared recently on my YouTube channel. What is the underlying structure of your life? What habits are made easy because of the layout of your home, your office, the friends you hang out with? How might you change the structure of your life in order to make certain positive habits more
- [How can I get an influencer to respond to my emails?](https://conorneill.com/2016/03/02/how-can-i-get-an-influencer-to-respond-to-my-emails/) - The following is part of an email I received from Noah Kagan, entrepreneur and founder of Appsumo. You can read the full email on his Okdork.com blog. Personally I get plenty of requests for help/connections/ideas/reviews, and this particular process might help me say yes to a few more requests... Over to Noah: Question 5: How
- [Checklist: Leading Change in Organisations](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/18/checklist-leading-change-in-organisations/) - Here's a simple checklist for building a momentum for change in your organisation. Very Important: Do Not Jump to "Go" without fully completing each previous stage. Most change fails because the leader rushes to action before having done the work to create the conditions for success. Checklist for Change Further Resources on Leading Change Kotter's
- [Make a Better First Impression [infographic]](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/26/make-a-better-first-impression-infographic/) - If a relationship really matters, it's best to get face to face. 95% of corporate leaders believe getting face-to-face time is key to successful business relationships; a virtual meeting can never quite substitute meeting someone in person. Here's an infographic that summarises the research about the impact of face to face meetings over technology-enabled first meetings. Make a Great
- [What tracks are you leaving in the sand?](https://conorneill.com/2009/02/02/what-tracks-are-you-leaving-in-the-sand/) - A traveller is lost in the dessert. The sun is beating down. His mouth is parched and dry. He is disoriented. In an effort to survive, he begins walking towards the only sign he can see - some mountains in the far distance. After an hour of struggling through the sand, he comes across the
- [Trip to London](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/13/trip-to-london/) - I was in London the last 2 days. It struck me how many large office buildings are under construction. There were also many large residential complexes going up. It is a marked contrast to Barcelona to see so much construction activity. I don't know what it says about economies, but on the surface it looks like
- [Avoiding Stupidity is Easier than Seeking Brilliance](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/10/avoiding-stupidity-is-easier-than-seeking-brilliance/) - I remember a question that was asked to Warren Buffett. "What tips would you give to someone who wished to make money?" He suggested that there were no simple tips, but then finished by saying "the best way to make money is to stop losing money." When you begin in improving your decision making, rather
- [The Virtuous Circle Of Feedback](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/20/the-virtuous-circle-of-feedback/) - The Virtuous Circle of Feedback. This is a guest post by Florian Mueck, author and speaker. My son turned four last September. Isn’t that a great age? Everyone tells you how sweet you are. Everyone tells you how great you are when you do things. And it’s always constructive. Even if you wear two different
- [Mission: It should fit on a t-shirt](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/04/mission-it-should-fit-on-a-t-shirt/) - An effective statement of mission should be short, sharp and direct. It should fit on a t-shirt. Not a font 8 squeeze, but a legible font. Every person who is involved should be able to articulate how their contribution adds to that mission. If not, then you don't have a mission. You have a hopeful
- [Status Anxiety [great podcast...]](https://conorneill.com/2016/02/02/status-anxiety-great-podcast/) - Status Anxiety is a much bigger issue today than at any time in history. The self-help gurus have sold us on the idea that each of us individually has the power to succeed or fail within us. If I read "Awaken the Power within" I will find my power and inevitable achieve riches. If I
- [Need an Easy Win?](https://conorneill.com/2016/01/26/need-an-easy-win/) - Some days feel harder to get going than others. The big mission feels a bit too big for today. I need something else, something smaller: An Easy Win. What are my easy wins? One is a blog post. I never allow myself to take more than 20 minutes before I hit publish, and there is
- [Happiness = The Quality of Your Relationships](https://conorneill.com/2016/01/19/happiness-the-quality-of-your-relationships/) - What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you're mistaken. What is the Most Important Aspect of a Happy Life? It is the quality and depth of your relationships that make all the difference... to
- [The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey](https://conorneill.com/2016/01/06/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-by-stephen-covey/) - This is a great summary video of a book that had a great impact on me back when I was 23 years old. I was working for Accenture (in those days, Andersen Consulting) and the organisation shared this book with all employees. There's a photo there of me there on the right with my leather
- [9 Reasons why you are Stuck](https://conorneill.com/2014/12/08/7-reasons-why-you-are-stuck/) - 9 Reasons Why You Are Stuck You don’t have a compelling enough vision Your habits aren’t serving you You haven't invested in improving yourself Poor relationships You’re cheap You’re worried about your weaknesses You’re filling your time You’re managing the wrong things You're asking "do I feel like doing this?" You don’t have a compelling
- [It’s Better to Avoid a Toxic Employee than Hire a Superstar](https://conorneill.com/2016/01/03/its-better-to-avoid-a-toxic-employee-than-hire-a-superstar/) - They lie, they manipulate and they pick fights: Some colleagues are ruthless, especially when it comes to their own professional advancement. Avoiding a toxic employee can save a company more than twice as much as bringing on a star performer. The trouble with Toxics is that they are difficult to detect. Often, Toxics are popular with
- [First Impressions](https://conorneill.com/2015/12/29/first-impressions/) - I was skiing with Florian, Rose and Alvaro yesterday in the Andorran resort of Pas de la Casa. There was not much real snow, but the Grandvalira resort have worked magic with the artificial snow production machines... and so we were able to ski most of the pistes. https://twitter.com/conorneill/status/681486267121561600 Over lunch, Rose sat in the bad
- [Engagement - Is it really the employer's responsibility?](https://conorneill.com/2015/12/21/engagement-is-it-really-the-employers-responsibility/) - I have sat through many presentations over the last 3 years listening to experts telling company leaders how they can make their company an engaging workplace; how they can increase employee engagement. Is it really the employer's responsibility? Engagement is a Choice Surely a basic requirement when you accept a job is that you engage
- [Star Wars: The Force Awakens](https://conorneill.com/2015/12/18/star-wars-the-force-awakens/) - Star Wars: The Force Awakens Release In excitement and childhood joy at reliving my youth, here is a few videos from the Star Wars Franchise. Are you going to see The Force Awakens? Have you seen it? What did you think? Official Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE The Official Teaser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs Jimmy Fallon and crew making fun of
- [Imagination defines humanity](https://conorneill.com/2015/12/14/imagination-defines-humanity/) - It is imagination that makes humans unique in nature. Genetically we differ 2% from chimpanzees and 3% from worms. It is not our genes that have us living in penthouses and connecting on facebook. Our difference is the human cortex, the layer of brain that is most highly developed in humans. The cortex is where
- [Communication requires 2 people](https://conorneill.com/2015/12/02/communication-requires-2-people/) - Communication happens in the recipient. If there is no recipient, it is not communication. It is called noise, or as the Irish say: "shouting at the storm". Communication can only begin when you understand what the recipient wants, what their goals are, what is missing in their current way of life. If you don't know
- [A Truly Compelling Vision](https://conorneill.com/2015/12/01/a-truly-compelling-vision/) - Most people do not have a compelling vision. A boring vision attracts mediocre people and mediocre performance. "I want to make €1 million" is not a compelling vision. It is about you, and you alone. Why would anyone else give their best effort so that you can have €1 million in your bank account? Guy
- [How to Make a Country Rich, Build Attractive Cities and Become a Better Person (in 27 minutes)](https://conorneill.com/2015/11/19/how-to-make-a-country-rich-build-attractive-cities-and-become-a-better-person-in-27-minutes/) - Three wonderful short videos from The School of Life youtube channel, total duration 27 minutes: How to Make a Country Rich If you were setting out to make a country rich, what kind of mindsets and ideas would be most likely to achieve your goals? We invent a country, Richland, and try to imagine the
- [Explaining the Paris Tragedy to a Child](https://conorneill.com/2015/11/18/explaining-the-paris-tragedy-to-a-child/) - I want share a conversation between a 3 year old boy and his father in Paris the day after the Bataclan attack. I love the way the father speaks with his son. His words do not undo the damage and the pain; nothing does. Families have lost sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. They are in
- [Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues of Life](https://conorneill.com/2015/11/18/benjamin-franklins-13-virtues-of-life/) - In 1726, at the age of 20, Benjamin Franklin created a system to develop his character. In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues of Life are listed as: Temperance: Eat not to Dullness. Drink not to Elevation. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling Conversation. Order: Let all your Things
- [Culture: by Design, or by Default?](https://conorneill.com/2015/11/15/culture-by-design-or-by-default/) - “Only 3 things happen naturally in organisations: friction, confusion and underperformance. Everything else requires leadership” Peter Drucker Mediocrity is effortless. Excellence requires effort. Excellence requires a culture of excellence. In the absence of cultures of excellence I will find an excuse to let myself slip from my best. Do you surround yourself with cultures of excellence? "Great
- [What do you want?](https://conorneill.com/2015/11/11/what-do-you-want/) - What do you really want? Michael Gerber, in his book The E-Myth asks this question: What are your primary aims? Imagine walking into a room. You pause at the entrance. In the room, seated, are all your friends and family. You enter the room. You walk up the middle of the room. At the front
- ["Always Busy" is a Decision](https://conorneill.com/2015/09/20/always-busy-is-a-decision/) - You don't find time, you make time. “Expect anything worthwhile to take a long time.” Debbie Millman* Anything worthwhile should take a long time. The myth of overnight success is just that... a myth. Acorns take time to become great oaks. Nothing that comes easily will feel worthwhile, but I chase the quick fixes and the
- [12 Abuses: Ancient Irish Wisdom for Kings](https://conorneill.com/2015/10/20/12-abuses-ancient-irish-wisdom-for-kings/) - De duodecim abusivis saeculi "On the Twelve Abuses of the World" is a self-help book written by an Irish author between 630 and 700AD. You could say that it was the earliest precursor to Steven Covey, Brian Tracy or Jim Rohn. The work was widely propagated throughout Europe by Irish missionaries in the 8th century. Its authorship was often
- [3 Ways Negative Self-Talk Damages Us](https://conorneill.com/2015/10/14/3-ways-negative-self-talk-damages-us/) - Psychologist Martin Seligman explained that there are three ways in which our internal beliefs or narratives become damaging: we make them personal, pervasive, and permanent. Personal: I failed, so I must be a failure. Pervasive: I failed in this instance, so I'll probably fail in every instance. Permanent: I failed once, so I'll probably fail
- [I have learned 3 things about getting good work done](https://conorneill.com/2015/09/29/i-have-learned-3-things-about-getting-good-work-done/) - I have learned 3 things about getting good work done: There is no magic app: My lack of productivity was never down to a missing app, or not implementing Dave Allen's GTD system correctly, or not having the right colour pens and post-it notes. I have everything I need to be productive with a keyboard
- [The key to transforming yourself](https://conorneill.com/2015/09/14/the-key-to-transforming-yourself/) - I came across this TEDx talk by Robert Green - the author of "The 48 Laws of Power". He shares his life experience. He was lost, without any clear career direction for many years. At 36 years old, his parents despaired of him. In a single conversation with the right person, all of that past
- [10 Rules for Students (and Teachers)](https://conorneill.com/2015/09/05/10-rules-for-students-and-teachers/) - This was posted at Maria Popova's blog Brainpickings back in 2012. I'm not a big fan of John Cage as a composer (he is most famous for over 4 minutes of silence...) but he was an inspiration for (and promoter of) these 10 rules: 10 Rules for Students and Teachers RULE ONE: Find a place you
- [Frustrated Expectations: Not Asking for Commitment](https://conorneill.com/2015/09/01/frustrated-expectations-not-asking-for-commitment/) - One of the hardest parts of leadership is getting people around you to take action. It is easy to get people to agree generally that things could be better, it is a vastly different conversation to look them each in the eyes and ask that they tell you directly how they will be taking action
- [Guilt and Mistakes](https://conorneill.com/2015/08/03/guilt-and-mistakes/) - The basic freedom we have in life is the freedom to make mistakes. If we can't make (reasonable) mistakes and learn from them, what freedom do we really have? "The first time it is an accident, the second time it is a decision." My girlfriend likes to say: "The first time it is an accident,
- [Teaching with Creative Indifference (or Impartiality)](https://conorneill.com/2015/07/13/teaching-with-creative-indifference-or-impartiality/) - Creative Indifference A good gardener creates the conditions for growth of a garden, but cannot force the flowers to grow in an exact way. The good gardener creates the conditions and accepts what arises. The bad gardener fights what arises. The bad gardener hacks and chops and fights against the natural growth of nature. The
- [How I Stopped Email Overload](https://conorneill.com/2015/06/27/how-i-stopped-email-overload/) - "Inbox zero?" I haven't seen anything near zero for a decade. I think email is a hugely useful tool, and also a massive black hole that can suck up my time and energy. I haven't tried to manage email for the last few years on the view that almost nothing of great value ever arrives or
- [Warren Buffett: "We Need Inspirational Leaders"](https://conorneill.com/2015/07/03/warren-buffett-we-need-inspirational-leaders/) - "passion brings out an enthusiasm and a dedication in others" Warren Buffett Warren Buffett speaking in Italy recently https://youtu.be/ti1hjSZdEZY?t=6m42s Summary of his words on Inspirational Leaders "In the really great managers the common quality they have (in addition to intelligence, energy and integrity) is a passion for what they do. They are not doing it for the money. At
- [When You Lead There Is No Such Thing As A Trivial Act](https://conorneill.com/2015/07/01/when-you-lead-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-trivial-act/) - The title of this post came from a summary of a talk by Pat Murray. As a leader, people watch every single act. If you are in a bad mood and act out of that bad mood, people think that is who you are. Words are generally ignored, we watch what you allow to happen. As
- [Bad Little Rude Behaviours](https://conorneill.com/2015/06/23/bad-little-rude-behaviours/) - What's the most annoying "little rude behaviour" you see around you? A recent New York Times article tells me that science is now showing that it pays to be nice to those around you at work. Little rude behaviours generate a group of people looking forward to see you fall on your face. Little kindnesses
- [The #1 Reason Why you don't have a Strong Network](https://conorneill.com/2015/06/04/the-1-reason-why-you-dont-have-a-strong-network/) - It is not that you don't go to enough "networking" events. It is not that you don't approach strangers at these "networking" events. It is not that nobody ever told you that a strong network is important. It is not that you have too few connections on LinkedIn or Facebook, or twitter or Google+. (Connecting
- [Iraq Explained -- ISIS, Syria and War](https://conorneill.com/2015/06/03/iraq-explained-isis-syria-and-war/) - I came across a wonderful series of explanation videos on youtube this morning (sometimes random internet clicking has its benefits!). Kurz Gesagt, a Munich based design studio founded by Philipp Dettmer & Stephan Rether in 2013 creates 5 minute animated explanations on some of the most complex topics there are. Here are 4 of my
- [The 7 Golden Behaviors - The secret to create a true “Dream Team”](https://conorneill.com/2015/06/02/the-7-golden-behaviors-the-secret-to-create-a-true-dream-team/) - This is a guest post by Marc Siles, He is an Executive MBA from IESE Business School who leads the INNEOX team from his base in Finland! Over to Marc... The 7 Golden Behaviors - The secret to create a true “Dream Team” Here is what I would like you to do. Think about a
- [Improve your Stories: use more "therefore"s and "but"s](https://conorneill.com/2015/05/25/improve-your-stories-use-more-therefores-and-buts/) - "What if a writer is trying to tell a story and nothing much happens, nothing is resolved..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVVzR8zIvoA How to Tell A Boring Story Use: "and then this happened". The essential ingredient of a boring (it is going nowhere) story is the "and then this happened"... "and then this happened"... "and then this happened" structure.
- [Am I someone people can believe in?](https://conorneill.com/2015/05/22/am-i-someone-people-can-believe-in/) - If life's journey is like a bus ride: there are drivers, and there are passengers. (there are also conductors, there are navigators, there are engineers...) There are a lot more passengers on the bus than drivers. What does it take to be a driver? The drivers are people that passengers can believe in. Who do
- [15 Questions To Ask Your Kids To Help Them Have Good Mindsets](https://conorneill.com/2015/04/28/15-questions-to-ask-your-kids-to-help-them-have-good-mindsets/) - David William wrote this post at Lifehack, but I find that I have gone back a couple of times now to find these questions. I was on a bike ride along Tibidabo mountain last night with my daughter (8) and I asked her a couple of these questions. I get some profound answers. Jim Collins
- [Kevin Spacey's Three Key Elements to a Compelling Story](https://conorneill.com/2015/04/26/kevin-spaceys-three-key-elements-to-a-compelling-story/) - Today I am sharing a post from John Zimmer... There is a small group of blogs that I always read. One is John Zimmer's Manner of Speaking. This week he shared a video he found of Kevin Spacey (the actor) talking to an audience of online marketers. Kevin Spacey talks about 3 ingredients of compelling
- [7 Letters To Write Before you Turn 70](https://conorneill.com/2015/04/10/7-letters-to-write-before-you-turn-70/) - Email has almost completely replaced the written letter. This creates an opportunity. Written letters are so rare that they really stand out. You can really benefit from this special attention, but maybe nobody ever taught you the art of good letter writing. Here is a short guide... The blog "The Art of Manliness" has some comic
- [How to Stop Offering Free Advice and Make the Sale](https://conorneill.com/2014/12/14/how-to-stop-offering-free-advice-and-make-the-sale/) - Over the last 10 years I have increasingly moved from product businesses towards a services business. In the world of private jets we had simple rules: if the trip is not paid, the plane doesn't leave. It was policy, not decision. In the world of coaching leaders to build cultures of disciplined high performance, there is
- [Why worry? It should all come together in the end shouldn't it?](https://conorneill.com/2009/12/06/why-worry-it-should-all-come-together-in-the-end-shouldnt-it/) - I read Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres when I was 23 years old. It changed an idea I had about life. This scared me. My Summary of the Book's Story The book tells the story of an lieutenant that is stationed on a Greek Island as part of the Italian occupation during the second
- [How Self-Discipline will make you a Better Leader](https://conorneill.com/2015/03/23/how-self-discipline-will-make-you-a-better-leader/) - Self-discipline is the foundational habit that makes all other good habits possible. Self Discipline What is self discipline? It is the ability to do a chosen action even when you don't feel like it. Anyone can do the action when they feel like it. It is the ability to do it when you don't feel like
- [Life is not Hard, it is easy](https://conorneill.com/2015/03/19/life-is-not-hard-it-is-easy/) - Life is not hard, it is easy. That is the problem. Why do we stop chasing our dreams? Because it is so easy to wake up, do the minimum, eat, sleep and repeat. Meet someone, bring up kids, drift and die... It is easy to live. That is the curse. It is easy to look
- [Put somebody on a treadmill and I'll tell you how good they are at any other thing they do in life.](https://conorneill.com/2015/02/20/put-somebody-on-a-treadmill-and-ill-tell-you-how-good-they-are-at-any-other-thing-they-do-in-life/) - Reading an interview with Will Smith (he is deep and a keen observer of the human condition), I came across this statement from him: "Put somebody on a treadmill and I'll tell you how good they are at any other thing they do in life." Will Smith Harsh. Brutal. but... is it True? I think
- [“What is the hardest thing that you ever had to work for?”](https://conorneill.com/2015/02/18/what-is-the-hardest-thing-that-you-ever-had-to-work-for/) - This is a request for your experience. I want your help. Yesterday, I came across an interview with Ryan Avery, 2012 World Champion of Public Speaking on the blog of Paul Sohn: How to Speak Like a World Champion of Public Speaking. The question that really struck me and has left me deep in thought
- [Bertrand Russell's ten laws of teaching](https://conorneill.com/2015/02/16/bertrand-russells-ten-laws-of-teaching/) - This list was shared via email by my Dad today: Bertrand Russell's ten laws of teaching Do not feel absolutely certain of anything. Do not think it worthwhile to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed. When you
- [Are Business and Society always in Conflict?](https://conorneill.com/2015/02/16/are-business-and-society-always-in-conflict/) - Communities are Conservative, Business is Progressive There is an inherent conflict between communities and companies. Communities (family, neighbourhood, tradition) try to maintain stability. Companies are driven by the nature of the capitalism market system to innovate and change. (See Schumpeter's "creative destruction" on wikipedia) . Stability vs Destruction Companies close their factories and replace deeply experienced craft
- [Kung Fu is Not a Science](https://conorneill.com/2015/02/03/kung-fu-is-not-a-science/) - Physics is a science. Geology is a science. Chemistry is a science. What is Science? "Science: (from Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge") is a systematic enterprise that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. In an older and closely related meaning, "science" also refers to a body of knowledge
- [The 3 Worst Things that We Learned as Children](https://conorneill.com/2015/01/30/the-3-worst-things-that-we-learned-as-children/) - Was school good for me? I do believe so. There are some very positive values that were inculcated in me through the way the teachers dealt with us, the stories we were told, the structure of the school: compassion, gratitude, sharing, discipline, respect, charity, hope, love. The 3 Worst Things We Learned As Children However, there
- [The Quality of a Leader's Intent](https://conorneill.com/2015/01/19/the-quality-of-a-leaders-intent/) - Two leaders in the same circumstances doing the same thing can bring about completely different outcomes. I've often wondered why. It is more than just luck. It is an inner quality of certain leaders. There is a quality to certain people's intent, capacity to observe without judging, capacity to see a new way to put
- [Reflections on Nando Parrado, the real hero of the film "Alive"](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/12/reflections-on-nando-parrado-the-real-hero-of-the-film-alive/) - Last Friday I had the priviledge of hearing Nando Parrado speak to the 350 attendees of the Entrepreneurs' Organisation Barcelona University. Nando was the highlight of the 4 days of speakers. Survival in Extreme Hardship Nando Parrado survived for 72 days in the Andes, along with 16 members of his Rugby team, after their plane
- [Sales: What is your Painful Problem to Solve?](https://conorneill.com/2014/07/21/sales-what-is-your-painful-problem-to-solve/) - What is your painful problem to solve? Sales is not about describing your product, your process or your friends. It is about explaining to the buyer a problem that they have, and giving them a glimpse of a world where that problem has gone away. What would it feel like to live in a world
- [4 Steps to Improve your Sleep](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/12/improve-your-sleep/) - At IESE this week, Steven MacGregor ran 3 sessions on "Sustaining Executive Performance". Keeping healthy is one aspect of successful executives. The human being functions best under conditions of stress followed by recovery. Too much stress leads to breakdown. Too much recovery leads to atrophy. The best form of recovery is sleep. How can you
- [Deliberate Ignorance](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/11/deliberate-ignorance/) - There are two types of ignorance: Deliberate Ignorance and Understandable Ignorance. Understandable Ignorance A non-financial expert is not expected to know how to calculate discounted cash flow valuations for publicly listed firms. A European is not expected to know how baseball scoring works. A non-programmer is not expected to understand the syntax of C++ or php
- [Normal vs Optimal](https://conorneill.com/2013/08/25/normal-vs-optimal/) - "But, is this normal?" Why am I so fixated by normal? What about optimal? Wouldn't optimal be a better aim? Is my life normal? Some of it, yes. Some of it, no. But it adds no direction to my journey to the future me. Is my life optimal? Is my running posture optimal? Is my
- [How Often Do You Really Face Reality?](https://conorneill.com/2015/01/05/how-often-do-you-really-face-reality/) - "All organisations need a discipline that makes them face up to reality" Peter Drucker What got us to today's success will not keep us here. No activity will remain effective for a long time without modifications. Eventually every activity becomes obsolete. The ability to stop doing things that no longer serve is vital: in my life, in
- [Where does a leader get their energy from? Ken Blanchard says "Begin the day slowly."](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/23/where-does-a-leader-get-their-energy-from-ken-blanchard-says-begin-the-day-slowly/) - I was priviledged to attend a small gathering to listen to Ken Blanchard and then join him for lunch this week thanks to Alberto Cabezas (co-founder of Claction online marketing) and the Entrepreneurs' Organisation. Ken Blanchard is the author of "The One Minute Manager" a simple but brilliant story about management that has sold over
- [On Running 22 Marathons in 30 days (in Winter)](https://conorneill.com/2014/12/26/on-running-22-marathons-in-30-days-in-winter/) - This is a guest post by Luca Rossini. Luca ran home. This is a big deal when you live in Paris and your family home is near Milan. This post shares how he kept the journey going day after day after day... Over to Luca... How I found the Strength to Run 900 kilometers through
- [The health benefits of drinking coffee](https://conorneill.com/2014/12/23/the-health-benefits-of-drinking-coffee/) - I drink coffee. It helps me wake, it helps me focus. It helps me write. I love the smell. (I don't think I have ever had a coffee that tasted quite as good the smell.) Coffee smells good. On a good day, I'll have 3. On a tough day, where my concentration is not good,
- [The Single Worst Question you can Ask yourself](https://conorneill.com/2014/12/18/the-single-worst-question-you-can-ask-yourself/) - Do you know what is the worst question that you can ask yourself? It is a powerful question If you intend to avoid living a life that is fulfilling at all the levels: safety, risk, connection, significance, growth and contribution. What big goals do you have for yourself? (You do have them, whether you have
- [Barcelona](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/22/barcelona/) - This is Barcelona This is where I have lived for the last decade. Barcelona. This video captures Barcelona. The streets, the energy, the sights... maybe not the sounds and the smells. History of Barcelona Barcelona was founded in the 3rd century BC by Hamilcar Barca, the father of the famous general Hannibal. It came under
- [How are my neighbours doing today?](https://conorneill.com/2014/12/05/how-are-my-neighbours-doing-today/) - There is a wonderful tradition that was described to us by Sandiya of Storytrails this morning as we walked through the backstreets of Chennai, India. Every house we passed had a chalk-like drawing on the pavement in front. I asked Sandiya "what are these drawings?" (my new shoes are visible in most of the pictures!)
- [A Lesson in Hiring Top Executives: The 4 Key Attributes](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/24/a-lesson-in-hiring-top-executives-the-4-key-attributes/) - The Most Important Decision ‘We choose our spouses. We choose our bosses. We choose our friends. We choose the people who work with us. We choose our nannies. We choose our lawyers. We choose our doctors. It is definitely worthwhile investing in learning, because this is not rocket science, but it requires discipline.’ Claudio Fernández-Aráoz Claudio
- [Systematic Abandonment](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/23/systematic-abandonment/) - We collect habits, items, people that served us in a given moment, but are not serving us now. Human beings come pretty well designed for Systematic Accumulation, adding more and more plans, projects, dreams to my bucket list. As we move through life we accumulate dreams, fantasies, projects, stuff. I often think about what else I would
- [[Infographic] Body Language, including the 6 Universal Emotional Signals](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/21/infographic-body-language-including-the-6-universal-emotional-signals/) - Nick Morgan, founder of Public Words, and one of the worlds top communications coaches, put together the Body Language infographic. It answers questions such as: How many seconds does it take for us to judge another person? What are the 6 universal emotional signals? How to disagree without making an enemy? How to deal with
- [[Infographic] 6 Simple Steps A CEO Can Take To Improve Employee Engagement](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/20/infographic-6-simple-steps-a-ceo-can-take-to-improve-employee-engagement/) - This week I attended an Entrepreneurs Organisation learning event led by long time EO member Ridgely Goldsborough on the subject of "Know your WHY". Here's a picture of EO Barcelona Learning Chairman Toni Mascaro welcoming over 100 entrepreneurs to the event. http://instagram.com/p/vjI13sQSOL Disengagement: The "Quit and Stayed" Employee I recently posted about the 4 paths
- [Your Scarcest Resource](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/30/your-scarcest-resource/) - I know plenty of financial advisors who would love to spend a few hours reviewing my investments, cash position, investment goals and helping me make a realistic plan. I know how much I spent on food, travel, housing, school in the last month, year and if I did the sums I could calculate a rough
- [Become Strategically Unavailable](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/18/become-strategically-unavailable/) - First, you may ask, what is "Strategic Unavailability" anyway? What is Strategic Unavailability? If you say "yes" to every request for your time, money or attention you will have none for the areas that are your own personal priority. If you want to achieve success, you must retain most of your resources and dedicate them
- [How to video yourself speaking](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/07/how-to-video-yourself-speaking/) - How to make a video of yourself speaking: The simplest way on any Operating System (Mac, PC, Linux) Youtube has a tool that allows you to record yourself: My Webcam This works on any platform. It is simple interface that allows you to record, review the recording and publish to youtube. Publishing to youtube is
- [Launching a New Youtube Channel](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/11/launching-a-new-youtube-channel/) - I uploaded my first educational tips video to youtube in January 2011. I wanted to reach out to a wider audience than can come and attend IESE Business School in Barcelona or in Madrid, or those who read my blog. Today, there are 77 short educational videos on the channel, and with 1.3 Million views, the
- [[Infographic] Habits that Separate Successful People from Unsuccessful People](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/09/infographic-habits-that-separate-successful-people-from-unsuccessful-people/) - "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle Show me your daily habits and I can describe your future. Discover the habits of successful people as opposed to the habits of unsuccessful people in the infographic created by SuccessStory.com. Habits of Successful People vs Unsuccessful People How's your
- [A Week in Montevideo, Uruguay](https://conorneill.com/2014/11/02/a-week-in-montevideo-uruguay/) - I am sitting at the airport about to board my Iberia flight back to Barcelona via the city of Madrid. I have had a great week teaching at IEEM Business School in Montevideo. There is something special about spending a week working and living in another city. It changes my perspective on life. I have
- [Does meaning come from excellent execution or excellent execution from shared mission and vision?](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/13/does-meaning-come-from-excellent-execution-or-excellent-execution-from-shared-mission-and-vision/) - Should we focus on the ends to improve the means or focus on the means to improve the ends? On Monday I spent a couple of hours at IESE in a research seminar where Harvard Professor Julie Battiliana presented her research on professional and organisational identity in two Bolivian commercial microfinance institutions. BancoSol and Banco
- [3 types of Dangerous People](https://conorneill.com/2012/01/07/3-types-of-dangerous-people/) - The 3 types of Dangerous People Micheal Maddock writes about 3 types of people to fire immediately. This applies beyond the world of entrepreneurs and work teams. It applies in all of life. Victims - they want the problems. Critics - they won't and they don't want you to either. Know-it-Alls - they refuse to
- [7 Signs that People are Engaged in Your Business](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/31/7-signs-that-people-are-engaged-in-your-business/) - Are your people engaged? People consistently put in extra effort beyond what is expected. People are highly motivated to contribute to the success of the organisation. People consistently look for more efficient and effective ways of getting the job done. People have a strong sense of personal accomplishment from their work. People understand how their roles help
- [My Productivity Posts at the Lifehack blog](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/26/my-productivity-posts-at-the-lifehack-blog/) - I have been writing this month for the Lifehack blog. They have published 4 of my blog posts so far. It's challenging and helpful to get pushed to improve my ability to explain my ideas, work with editors and pitch story ideas ;-) 6 Item Checklist for Running Impressive Meetings Our first board meeting was chaos.
- [UCD Smurfit, Influence and Persuasive Communications Seminar](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/24/ucd-smurfit-influence-and-persuasive-communications-seminar/) - UCD Smurfit Business School will be hosting a 3 day Influence and Persuasive Communications Seminar on January 14-16 2015. About UCD Smurfit Business School UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is Ireland’s leading business school and research centre. The school offers a wide range of postgraduate business programmes that equip students to become the business leaders
- [Setting Limits](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/23/setting-limits/) - How do you set limits on "Free"? I teach communication skills. I help entrepreneurs deal with leadership challenges. I find it hard to effectively manage the gap between free advice and paid consulting. "Would you listen to my speech?" or "Can we meet for a coffee, I have an important meeting coming up?" I find
- [How Confident People achieve a Confident Mindset (In a Way Most People Don’t Know)](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/17/how-confident-people-achieve-a-confident-mindset-in-a-way-most-people-dont-know/) - How do some people remain poised and confident where others are reduced to nervous wrecks? I have been a student of the human condition for years. It all started age 17 when I faced the tough life decision of what to do after school finished. I decided to study psychology at university. There were three
- [Plant Acorns. Grow Oaks.](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/11/plant-acorns-grow-oaks/) - This post is inspired by a talk "You and your research" by Richard Hamming. One life to live "Now, why is this talk important? I think it is important because, as far as I know, each of you has one life to live. Even if you believe in reincarnation it doesn't do you any good
- [Progress Requires Change](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/13/progress-requires-change/) - "Change does not mean progress, but progress requires change" Richard Hamming Without change you will not have progress. What have you changed recently? If you have been doing something the same way for 10 years, maybe its time to test a different way. You might return, but it is only by making the change that
- [The Big Question – by Bill Treasurer](https://conorneill.com/2014/10/06/the-big-question-by-bill-treasurer/) - This is a guest post by my good friend Bill Treasurer, who's latest book Leaders Open Doors makes its big time release this week! Over to Bill... If you’re a leader, there’s an important question on the minds of the people you lead. They may not say it directly, but it is the core question that
- [The End of the Knowledge Worker](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/30/the-end-of-the-knowledge-worker/) - I hear that we are in the economy of the knowledge worker. Nope, we skipped that. We were supposed to be shifting from the manufacturing worker to the knowledge worker. All the big gurus told us of this shift. They tell me that it has been going on for 20 years. The only problem is that
- [7 Life Lessons from a Broken Foot](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/22/7-life-lessons-from-a-broken-foot/) - This is a guest post by Tobias Rodrigues who will be collaborating with me next week in the IESE Executive MBA intensive week in Barcelona. Tobias broke his foot this summer - and learnt some surprising lessons about himself, his family and what it means to be dependent on others. Over to Tobias... 39
- [Body Language. We do not Move the World with Words Alone](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/07/body-language-we-do-not-move-the-world-with-words-alone/) - This is a guest post from Tony Anagor who has been working with me this week in IESE. Tony has built a multi-million euro event management business in Barcelona. 3 years ago he told me that he had found his true passion. He works with individuals to clarify their purpose and give them the belief
- [The Top 20 Posts on Moving People to Action 2013-2014](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/18/the-top-20-posts-on-moving-people-to-action-2013-2014/) - Title Views 17 Daily personal habits for a fulfilling life - my earliest "went viral" post; this was a long reflection on the first 35 years of my life 16,719 Three Examples of Ice-Breaker Speeches - simple - three ways to introduce yourself 14,257 Amazon Staff Meetings: “No Powerpoint” - Jeff Bezos doesn't like powerpoint - easy for
- [For Productivity: Stop Doing These 9 Things](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/16/for-productivity-stop-doing-these-9-things/) - Stop Doing Stuff that Doesn't Serve 168 hours in a week. 24 hours in a day. I haven't done the math to work out how many in a year or a lifetime, but however large the number, it is still finite. It is limited. We get so much, and no more. This leaves you with
- [The 14 Habits of Highly Miserable People](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/08/the-14-habits-of-highly-miserable-people/) - This post was originally published on Alternet and it is written by coaching guru Cloe Madanes.The 14 Habits of Highly Miserable PeopleMost of us claim we want to be happy—to have meaningful lives, enjoy ourselves, experience fulfillment, and share love and friendship with other people and maybe other species, like dogs, cats, birds, and whatnot. Strangely
- [Leaders Open Doors, Bill Treasurer](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/05/leaders-open-doors-bill-treasurer/) - Simplifying LeadershipI am sharing a new book and a short video by a friend of mine, Bill Treasurer. The book is called "Leaders Open Doors" and is a short, simple answer to the question: what do great leaders do for those around them? I first met Bill over 20 years ago on an Accenture (then
- [Lying takes 2 People](https://conorneill.com/2012/10/18/lying-takes-2-people/) - Sorry, gave wrong url in the email... here is the correct link for the 9 Steps to Becoming a Public Speaking Expert Are you being lied to?Are you being lied to? Yes. Often.We Enjoy Lies. When we believe a lie, it is because we want to believe the lie."Everyone is hungry for something and they will
- [A 9 Step Cheatsheet for Becoming a Public Speaking Expert](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/03/a-9-step-cheatsheet-for-becoming-a-public-speaking-expert/) - What does it take to be a great public speaker? London Speaker Bureau has put it all together on a pretty page. From content to delivery, from startings to endings and from logos to ethos to pathos, its all here in this infographic. The London Speaker Bureau represent and work with some of the most influential people in the world, from politicians and economists to thought leaders and entrepreneurs. Between them, they cover a vast range of topics, from management and finance to technology, education, innovation and the environment. If you've ever wanted a beautiful infographic to guide your development as a persuasive speaker, this is the one.
- ["Presenteeism"](https://conorneill.com/2014/09/01/presenteeism/) - I am currently reading "The Power of Story" by Jim Loehr. In the introduction he puts a name on the widespread condition of "presenteeism": "Without investing high-quality, focussed energy in the activity before you, whatever it may be, setting time aside simply takes us from absenteeism to presenteeism - a condition increasingly plaguing American business, a
- [Why have no bankers gone to jail?](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/29/why-have-no-bankers-gone-to-jail/) - At dinner last night, I was talking with my father about my sense that we have had a collapse of trust in the institutions of the western democracies over the last decade. A good society has a sense of fairness. I feel that this sense of fairness has been lost. There is a widespread intensifying of
- [Latitudes of Acceptance](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/26/latitudes-of-acceptance/) - I love this idea that I came across in an interview with Matthew Lieberman at Edge.org. He speaks of an old 1960's idea called "Latitude of Acceptance". He defines it better than I, so I'll pretty much take his text verbatim: Matthew Lieberman on Latitudes of Acceptance "I'll tell you about my new favorite idea,
- [The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/21/the-ten-golden-rules-of-leadership/) - I have just been scanning the book The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership.In the words of the authors: "Leadership is not the same as management. Not everyone can be a leader. what distinguishes the real leader from a mere administrator is a unique series of perspectives and values."The authors of this book (Michael Soupios and
- [Dan Ariely: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/18/dan-ariely-what-makes-us-feel-good-about-our-work/) - We have a "naive" view about what motivates people at work: money. Yet, we can find example after example where the most driven people are not working for the monetary reward, but for something deeper. Dan Ariely describes some aspects that make work feel "meaningful" to us (and we will work harder and longer without
- [3 biggest objections to overcome when Selling](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/09/3-biggest-objections-to-overcome-when-selling/) - There are 3 objections that must be overcome to get somebody to buy: 1. why buy anything 2. why buy from me 3. why buy now Why buy anything? The first objection is showing that not taking action is not a viable option. The problem must be made explicit and brought to the full attention
- [7 Steps to the Perfect Story](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/05/7-steps-to-the-perfect-story/) - Stories are Predictable "We think of stories as a wildly creative art form but within that creativity and that diversity there is a lot of conformity. Stories are very predictable. No matter where you go in the world, no matter how different people seem, no matter how hard their lives are, people tell stories, universally,
- [Entrepreneur: Start a year before you Start](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/15/entrepreneur-start-a-year-before-you-start/) - Start building network, blog, educating 1 year before you make the leap. Build community. The first sales will always be to friends. Make those friends.
- [The Causes of The Great War](https://conorneill.com/2014/08/04/the-causes-of-the-great-war/) - The First World War began in 1914. Today marks the day that Britain and Northern Ireland entered the war. Over 9 million soldiers died in the 4 years until 11 November 1918. Total direct casualties were over 37 million (source). My great grandfather Sidney was in the trenches in the Great War. He never spoke
- [6 Key Characteristics of "A" Players](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/27/6-key-characteristics-of-a-players/) - Everyone wants to be Bruce Lee, but few want to put in the 10,000 (or more) hours of practice and preparation. It is only when the bar is held high that we can consistently put in the practice and push our skills to the highest levels. What makes for an ‘A’ Player? The simplest possible
- [7 Great Business Books](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/10/7-great-business-books/) - Who are your "Passive Mentors"? Mentors make a big difference in my life. There are 2 types of mentor: Active and Passive mentors. Active mentors are those that you meet in person, interact with and get to know. Passive mentors are those that you learn from without them knowing. Book authors are one of the
- [What is a story?](https://conorneill.com/2014/07/13/what-is-a-story/) - At the very simplest, a story is: A character Who wants something Overcomes obstacles to get it An epic story is A character Who wants something massive And is willing to risk everything to get it The real depth of any story is not whether the character achieves the goal but who they become as
- [The Abilene Paradox](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/25/the-abilene-paradox/) - When we all end up doing what nobody wanted to do I was out at a dinner with a large group of friends recently. At the end of the night I overheard two people talking about a local beach party. One said "these beach parties are a big thing here in Spain." The other said
- [5 Blog Posts that Really Changed my Perspective on Big Things](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/17/5-blog-posts-that-really-changed-my-perspective-on-big-things/) - I had coffee this morning with an entrepreneur from Barcelona and fellow member of Entrepreneurs' Organisation. I spoke about a couple of blog posts that had really impacted me and changed my perspectives on life. He asked me to share my list. Here it is. 5 Blog Posts that Changed My Perspectives Derek Sivers' post
- [TED Talks by IESE Faculty [video playlist]](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/14/ted-talks-by-iese-faculty-video-playlist/) - https://twitter.com/iesebs/status/477360009919991808 IESE Faculty TED Talks Follow these speakers IESE Business School [twitter-follow screen_name='iesebs' show_count='yes'] Pankaj Ghemawat [twitter-follow screen_name='PankajGhemawat' show_count='yes'] Xavier Oliver [twitter-follow screen_name='xavieroliver' show_count='yes'] Conor Neill [twitter-follow screen_name='cuchullainn' show_count='yes']
- [Hide the Art (especially Toastmasters)](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/14/hide-the-art-especially-toastmasters/) - Toastmasters is a wonderful organisation for anybody who wishes to improve their ability to speak with impact. However, there is something that has often challenged me with the "best" toastmaster speeches. They are very clearly the work of someone who has worked very, very, very hard on the words, gestures and voice that they use
- [UnProductive 101: Paving the Cow Path](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/06/unproductive-101-paving-the-cow-path/) - When I worked at Accenture, we were often in the business of identifying the existing business processes and then analysing how we would enable these processes with technology. Sometimes it was putting a mobile phone purchase process onto Siebel CRM, sometimes it was putting insurance sales onto SAP ERP. A senior partner used to say
- [Framing is Everything](https://conorneill.com/2014/06/05/framing-is-everything/) - Rory Sutherland tells some wonderful stories about the power of framing. If you want to be persuasive, you must get good at framing the argument. Good framing shifts the argument to a playing field where you can achieve your ends and the other can feel that they have gotten a good deal. Prices are not
- [Some Reflections On Good Strategy](https://conorneill.com/2014/05/16/some-reflections-on-good-strategy/) - What is Good Strategy? These points come from my notes from listening to a lecture by Prof. Pat Gibbon of UCD Smurfit Business School in Dublin during the Executive Edge day in May 2014. Good strategy begins with a clear diagnosis (widely accepted) of the real current condition of the business. If there is nothing
- [Jedi Productivity Presentation](https://conorneill.com/2014/05/15/jedi-productivity-presentation/) - I summarised my 11 Jedi Productivity Posts series in a short visual presentation: The presentation was awarded Slideshare "Top Presentation of the Day". Thanks to all the "like"s ;-) The full Jedi Productivity Series:
- [EO Global Leadership Conference in Athens, Greece](https://conorneill.com/2014/05/10/eo-global-leadership-conference-in-athens-greece/) - This was my first trip to the home of Aristotles and it was made special by the 1,300 other EO members who flew in from around the world to spend these last days in Athens. Hashtag #EOGLC. What other EOers are saying: John Melonakos on his blog NotOnlyLuck.com My Athens Experience Rather than lots of
- [Getting the Love you Want...](https://conorneill.com/2014/05/12/getting-the-love-you-want/) - This is a humorous but impactful video that will help remind you forever that people want to feel understood, not to have their problems solved. http://vimeo.com/66753575 I was at Entrepreneurs' Organisation Global Leadership Conference last week in Athens. One of the closing speakers was Hedy Schliefer. She spoke on the art of deeply connecting with another
- [No one buys a $57,000 watch to tell time](https://conorneill.com/2014/05/11/no-one-buys-a-57000-watch-to-tell-time/) - I came across this paragraph in a blog post by sales professional Grant Cardone. "No one buys a $57,000 watch to tell time. People buy things to solve problems. The cost of the item isn't what matters. Once the buyer is able to see the problem the product solves, their decision becomes much easier to
- [The 4 Arts of Self Sabotage](https://conorneill.com/2014/05/03/the-4-arts-of-self-sabotage/) - The equation for human performance is the following: Performance = Potential - Self-Sabotage That is it. You achieve not what your boss lets you, not what the others let you... you achieve what you don't screw up for yourself. In the years since I first wrote this equation up in a class and people said
- [Jedi Productivity 11 of 11: We need you. The Jedi must Prevail over the Evil Empire and why you matter](https://conorneill.com/2014/04/01/jedi-productivity-11-of-11-we-need-you-the-jedi-must-prevail-over-the-evil-empire-and-why-you-matter/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Are you a Dog or a Wolf?](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/28/are-you-a-dog-or-a-wolf/) - There are 2 types of life. The Dog or the Wolf. Are you a Dog or are you a Wolf? Dogs... Dogs are hierarchical social-status animals. They hunt in packs. They fight for power within their pack. Their success or failure is entirely defined by their position within the hierarchy of the pack. The higher
- [India is Not Chaotic: Look at its Patterns](https://conorneill.com/2014/04/16/india-is-not-chaotic-look-at-its-patterns/) - Devdutt Pattanaik tells TEDx that if you know the patterns that you are looking for, India's apparent chaos is actually order. The mythology of the West: kill the chaos-creating dragon, create order The mythology of India: liberate yourself from boundaries A beautiful western garden is ordered. Weeds are weeds, trees are trees and flowers are
- [Kurt Vonnegut on The Shapes of Stories](https://conorneill.com/2014/04/14/kurt-vonnegut-on-the-shapes-of-stories/) - Kurt Vonnegut is an American writer (1922-2007) famous for his satire and humour in the face of desperate circumstances. He has a wonderful theory on "the shapes of stories" - which he presents in the 4 minute video available below. Vonnegut's 8 Rules for Telling a Story In his book Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction,
- [Elvis and Self-Confidence](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/13/elvis-and-self-confidence/) - This is a guest post from Emily Matthews. Emily is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington. Elvis and Self-Confidence Elvis Presley is a man who radiated sexuality and confidence. Early interviews
- [Closing Chapters: If you are falling, dive.](https://conorneill.com/2012/04/07/closing-chapters-if-you-are-falling-dive/) - When I was 13 years old, American Football became the passion of my group of friends at school in Dublin. We would play our version of touch American Football up on a tarmac area behind school. I remember catching the football and running for the end zone. A member of the other team caught my
- [Jedi Productivity 10 of 11: ”Luke! you switched off your targeting computer!” making time for yourself](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/25/jedi-productivity-10-of-11-luke-you-switched-off-your-targeting-computer-making-time-for-yourself/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [#InspiringMondays: 3 Questions for the Week](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/24/inspiringmondays-3-questions-for-the-week/) - #InspiringMondays My entrepreneurial friend David Tomas has a mission. He calls it #InspiringMondays. His mission is to build a company culture that has people as excited arriving to work on a Monday morning, as most people generally feel when they about to leave work on a Friday afternoon. On this (potentially) inspiring Monday, I have
- [Jedi Productivity 9 of 11: Yoda’s first rule: Do or do not, there is no try](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/18/jedi-productivity-9-of-11-yodas-first-rule-do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Ireland Inspires on this St Patrick's Day](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/17/ireland-inspires-on-this-st-patricks-day/) - On this fine St Patrick's day, as the Chicagoans and Bostonians dye their rivers green, I'll be wearing a green tie, and here on the blog I'll share with you four fine videos. A fine positive Ireland message https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wmIZEl1nSo and an Authentic Luke Kelly experience Scorn not his Simplicity, but rather try to love him
- [Event: Persuasive Communication Masterclass in UCD Smurfit Business School (Dublin)](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/05/event-persuasive-communication-masterclass-in-ucd-smurfit-business-school-dublin/) - Persuasive Communication Masterclass, Dublin, 3 April Sold out - As of 13 March, this course is completely sold out. I will be teaching a full day Persuasive Communication Masterclass in Dublin on 3rd April. The class is part of the UCD Smurfit Masterclass series. UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business is Ireland's leading business
- [Slideshare Debut: Ideate!](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/13/slideshare-debut-ideate/) - Chiara Ojeda's presentation "Ideate: Create and Develop World-Changing Ideas" is a densely packed, highly visual walk through the steps needed to take your idea and turn it into something that changes the audience. A wonderful summary of everything I teach.
- [Jedi Productivity 8 of 11: How the Death Star commander runs his Hyper-effective Meetings](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/11/jedi-productivity-8-of-11-how-the-death-star-commander-runs-his-hyper-effective-meetings/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Success as an Entrepreneur](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/12/success-as-an-entrepreneur/) - This was originally posted here on Quora as my answer to the question "What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?" When I was 13 my grandfather said to me "Conor, success is earning more than your father." I accepted this as fact. When I was 30 my definition of success became "$30 million
- [What do you know now that you wish you knew then? #2](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/10/what-do-you-know-now-that-you-wish-you-knew-then-2/) - Last month, I asked my email subscribers a question: What do you know now that you wish you knew then? (and wish you did). Imagine you are having a coffee with a younger version of yourself. What would you say? (If you still feel that you are the younger self… what would you ask the future you?)
- [Jedi Productivity 7 of 11: R2D2, C3PO and the Power of Delegation](https://conorneill.com/2014/03/04/jedi-productivity-7-of-11-r2d2-c3po-and-the-power-of-delegation/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [5 Basic Laws of Human Stupidity](https://conorneill.com/2011/12/03/5-basic-laws-of-human-stupidity/) - These laws were identified and developed by Carlo M. Cipolla who was Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley up his death in the year 2000. The full description and implication of these 5 basic laws can be read in his article The 5 Basic Laws of Human Stupidity The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. Law 1: Underestimation Always and
- [Jedi Productivity 6 of 11: “Use the phone Luke…” Master the telephone](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/25/jedi-productivity-6-of-11-use-the-phone-luke-master-the-telephone/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [IESE Speaking Gurus Interview Series](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/19/iese-speaking-gurus-interview-series/) - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdESe5mqoK_Ecqzxquo4A5fXi2gVHo8ET This is a series of 10 interviews with the expert coaches during the IESE EMBA Intensive week 2013. (If you are viewing via rss, video on the blog here). The Expert Contributors are: Tony Anagor ([twitter-follow screen_name='lifestyledmc']) Florian Mueck ([twitter-follow screen_name='the7minutestar']) Conor Neill (Me!) ([twitter-follow screen_name='cuchullainn']) Tobias Rodrigues ([twitter-follow screen_name='conflictmentor']) John Zimmer ([twitter-follow screen_name='zimmerjohn']) The Speaking Guru Interviews
- [Announcing Jedi Productivity Blog Series: 11 Steps to Stop Procrastinating and Get Important Stuff Done](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/19/use-the-force-productivity/) - This is the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as her own
- [Jedi Productivity 5 of 11: Han Solo’s guide to Getting on top of the Email Inbox (a.k.a. Jabba the Hutt)](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/18/jedi-productivity-5-of-11-han-solos-guide-to-getting-on-top-of-the-email-inbox-a-k-a-jabba-the-hutt/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Feed your brain: 10 Foods that Build Your Brain Strength](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/06/feed-your-brain-10-foods-that-build-your-brain/) - Are you a healthy eater?This is a guest post by Julie Zimmer. I asked her to share her wisdom on health by telling us some good foods to eat when we need our brain to be at its resilient, productive best. Do you eat these 10 foods? (BONUS: at the bottom of the post... 2
- [Jedi Productivity 1 of 11: Obi-Wan says “Be Systematic” if you want Productivity (and balance)](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/21/jedi-productivity-1-of-11-obi-wan-says-be-systematic-if-you-want-productivity-and-balance/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Jedi Productivity 2 of 11: The Emperor’s guide to Goal Setting and the 20 Mile March (LT, ST, habits)](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/28/jedi-productivity-2-of-11-the-emperors-guide-to-goal-setting-and-the-20-mile-march-lt-st-habits/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Jedi Productivity 4 of 11: Obi-Wan’s guide to say “No”, (these are not the droids you are looking for…)](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/11/jedi-productivity-4-of-11-obi-wans-guide-to-say-no-these-are-not-the-droids-you-are-looking-for/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [Jedi Productivity 3 of 11: Deal with Darth Vader’s Evil “Urgent” Interruptions](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/04/jedi-productivity-3-of-11-deal-with-darth-vaders-evil-urgent-interruptions/) - This post is part of the Star Wars Jedi Productivity blog post series. There will be 11 posts coming weekly every Tuesday for... yes... just counted it... the next 11 weeks. These posts will guide your journey from a wilful, novice young pretender who is controlled by time... into a magnificent Jedi who uses time as
- [What do you know now that you wish you knew then? #1](https://conorneill.com/2014/02/05/1-what-do-you-know-now/) - Last month, I asked my email subscribers a question: What do you know now that you wish you knew then? (and wish you did). Imagine you are having a coffee with a younger version of yourself. What would you say? (If you still feel that you are the younger self... what would you ask the
- [The 5 Biggest Reasons why New Hires Fail](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/23/the-5-biggest-reasons-why-new-hires-fail/) - I came across a study reported in Mark Murphy's book Hiring for Attitude. (Here is a summary of Hiring for Attitude [pdf]). The findings are based on 5,247 interviews. Mark and his team categorised the top five reasons why new hires failed (were fired, asked to leave, received disciplinary action or significantly negative performance reviews). The 5 Biggest Reasons
- ["Koyaanisqatsi"](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/15/koyaanisqatsi/) - "Koyaanisqatsi" is a Hopi word. It means "life out of balance." The Hopi are a Native American people who primarily live in the region around Arizona. The name Hopi is a shortened form of Hopituh Shi-nu-mu ("The Peaceful People" or "Peaceful Little Ones"). What is balance? What is a balanced life? Does such an ideal
- [What does Leadership mean to you?](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/08/what-does-leadership-mean-to-you/) - Nitin Nohria, Dean of Harvard Business School will be speaking at IESE Business School in Barcelona next Monday 13th. "It is my desire to inspire people of all ages and social demographics to think about leadership on a broad level, contemplate what it means to them and what individual impact they can have when it
- [If something is worth doing, it is worth doing badly](https://conorneill.com/2010/07/23/if-something-is-worth-doing-it-is-worth-doing-badly/) - "If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well" is a common english language phrase. However, it is a very dangerous idea. Perfection is the enemy of progress. If something is worth doing, it is simply that - it is worth doing. If you start with little experience, you will probably do it poorly
- [Loneliness and Aloneness](https://conorneill.com/2014/01/03/loneliness-and-aloneness/) - Loneliness and Aloneness are different. Loneliness is an emptiness and the desire to fill this space with another person in the hope that the emptiness will be filled and removed. Loneliness is to be unhappy alone; and leads to misery together. Loneliness leads to a possessive relationship that is not love. It may begin with
- [Waiting for the "Perfect Moment"](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/30/waiting-for-the-perfect-moment/) - I'm guilty of sometimes waiting for that "perfect moment". Its a great way to spoil this current moment. Last night, I was up in Johnnie Fox's pub with my brother, sister and their loves in the mountains behind Dublin. We had spent most of a week together over the Christmas period. My sister said "I
- [What is this life?](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/28/what-is-this-life/) - Leisure, by W. H. Davies WHAT is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?— No time to stand beneath the boughs, And stare as long as sheep and cows: No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass: No time to see,
- [The Road Not Taken](https://conorneill.com/2012/07/19/the-road-not-taken/) - A poem I have always remembered... simple but deeply meaningful to me. The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the
- [If you think you are beaten, you are, If you think you dare not, you don't.](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/20/if-you-think-you-are-beaten-you-are-if-you-think-you-dare-not-you-dont/) - Thinking, by Walter Wintle More Poems: “If you think you are beaten, you are, If you think you dare not, you don't. If you like to win, but you think you can't, It is almost certain you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost, For out in the world we find, Success begins with
- [Probably the Worst Email of All Time](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/17/probably-the-worst-email-of-all-time/) - This, or a version of it, arrives a few times a week: "Dear Conor I need to talk to you. Can I have some time? X" By the way, its not from my girlfriend, or my daughter. They get a yes. My mum, dad, brothers, sister - they get a yes. However, generally these emails
- [6 Keys to Get Your Email Read [Video] ](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/16/get-email-read/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKIGgHRNlug 6 Keys to Get Email Read Here are 6 keys to engage the reader when you ask for some help via email: Indicate the social connection between sender and reader – where did you meet? who put you in contact? "We met at the Foundum Unplugged conference 2 weeks ago" Understand the readers perspective – what context (background
- [Geert Hofstede: the 6 Dimensions of National Culture](https://conorneill.com/2012/06/07/geert-hofstede-the-6-dimensions-of-national-culture/) - I spent the last 3 days with Prof Geert Hofstede in Finland. He is 82 years old and still passionate and excited about his work. He is the 4th most cited Social Scientist of all time (and the only one of the top 5 that is still alive). His major contribution has been in the
- [Performance Excellence: Deliberate Practice and 3 Models of Mastery](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/26/performance-excellence-deliberate-practice-and-3-models-of-mastery/) - This post includes additional detail to support my post at ActiveGarage blog: Origin of Leaders Pt 3: Learning - Growing through the Crucibles in your life. It is worth reading that post first for the background and context for this post. How do we achieve mastery? An entrepreneur friend recently commented to me an early
- [Five ways email is killing you. What did they used to do at work?](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/08/five-ways-email-is-killing-you-what-did-they-used-to-do-at-work/) - I was inspired by Michael over at Box of Crayons blog in his post 5 ways email is killing you. He found a terrific article from PsyBlog. They’ve written a compelling article that sets out the ways in which email lessens our impact in the world, rather than supports it. The original article actually sets
- [The #1 Most Important Tool in Negotiation](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/15/negotiation/) - There is a power tool in negotiation. I would say this is the single most useful tactic that I use in my years of selling (I sell private jets among other high value products). It is not competitive, it is not aggressive, it is not avoiding anything. It does not require massive intellectual development, years
- [Manifesto: Keep Wonder Alive, Join me and make the #idontknow Commitment](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/03/idontknow/) - In the spirit of changing myself for the better (and becoming a better father to my daughter), I wrote a short manifesto. http://cono.rs/idontknow In the next 10 years through to 2024, 1 Billion jobs will be taken over by machines. Google cars will replace taxis. IBM’s Watson will replace customer service staff. We cannot out-reason the machines. We must
- [The 12 Most Read Posts on Moving People to Action](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/07/the-12-most-read-posts-on-moving-people-to-action/) - These are the top 12 posts on Moving People to Action based on number of readers: Rank Title Views 1 Amazon Staff Meetings: “No Powerpoint” 121,993 2 Three Examples of Ice-Breaker Speeches 14,496 3 17 Daily personal habits for a fulfilling life 8,367 4 "Be water, my friend" Bruce Lee 6,809 5 Geert Hofstede: the 6 Dimensions of National Culture
- [Your Job is Not Your Job](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/11/your-job-is-not-your-job/) - If someone asked you, “What is your job?”, what would your response be? Go ahead, take a minute to think about your answer. I asked a similar question a few weeks ago in my post Become Indispensable: Solve Interesting Problems) Professor Fred Kofman tells a story about a question that changed his outlook on this
- [Intentionality and Defiance](https://conorneill.com/2013/12/10/intentionality-and-defiance/) - As I grow ever older, staying fit requires ever greater intention. I sometimes wish to myself that it might be a little easier, but then quickly realise that this is my inner saboteur distracting me. If you are going uphill then you are going towards success. I so often want writing to become easier. I
- [6 Ways to get your Email Ignored](https://conorneill.com/2011/03/14/6-ways-to-get-your-email-ignored/) - In 2010, 294 billion emails were sent per day for a total of 90 trillion in the full year. 1.9 billion users sent an email during 2010. The average business user in a 1,000 user organisation receives 110 emails per day (of which 13 are spam) and sends 36 emails. (source Radicati Group Email Statistics
- [Simple Rules for Effective Meetings](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/09/simple-rules-for-effective-meetings/) - Here's a new rule for people who wish to create a meeting: Al Pittampalli asks "What difference could you make that requires no one’s permission other than your own?" Do that first. Don't call the meeting until you have done that. What do you think? Feasible? A Vaccination for The Meeting Virus? "Lets meet to
- [The 4 Paths of our Working Life](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/22/the-4-paths-of-life/) - My last post was on Meaningful Contribution. I talked about three questions about the work you are doing: does it serve others? do you do it well? and do you love doing it? The 4 Paths in our Working Life Taking two of those questions: does it serve others? and do you love doing it?
- [The Ability to Sell Yourself](https://conorneill.com/2013/11/29/the-ability-to-sell-yourself/) - How do you respond when a person says "Tell me about yourself?" It might be called confidence, it might be called belief - do you let others see the best version of you, or do they see a dull, low-intensity, passionless version of yourself? Why do we find it difficult to sell ourselves? I spent
- [Disrespect for the Respectable [Richard Feynman Video]](https://conorneill.com/2013/11/26/disrespect-for-the-respectable-richard-feynman-video/) - "If you know the name of a bird in all of the human languages, you will still know absolutely nothing about the bird. My father taught me the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing about that something." Richard Feynman Earlier this week, my father sent me 2 short video interviews of Nobel
- [How to earn more money](https://conorneill.com/2010/05/29/how-to-earn-more-money/) - Why do some employees earn massively more money than others? Does Leo Messi or Christiano Ronaldo work harder than Bob Smith or John Doe? More hours? Better formatted CV? The 5 Forces of More Money In this post I do a quick thought experiment - using a tool from MBA Business Strategy 101 to look
- [You cannot promote world peace when you are angry](https://conorneill.com/2013/11/18/you-cannot-promote-world-peace-when-you-are-angry/) - Last week I taught a course on persuasive communication. One individual was a charismatic speaker who repeatedly gave speeches that I would classify as "Rant". This is a passionate and initially engaging way of speaking, but it has no place in a Leader's communication. To rant is to speak or shout at length in an
- [Do you know how to use the internet?](https://conorneill.com/2013/11/15/do-you-know-how-to-use-the-internet/) - I heard this question asked to a full conference room recently: "Do you know how to use the internet?" All hands went up. Everybody in the room felt that yes, they know how to use the internet. Then, the speaker asked a second question: "Ok, show me what you have created?" "Show me what you
- [You have to Ask](https://conorneill.com/2013/11/08/you-have-to-ask/) - This week I was teaching a 2 day course on Personal and Organisational Leadership. Stefan flew in on Monday to organise the logistics for the course. I met him at the Hilton Diagonal Mar hotel to take him for dinner at my favourite tapas restaurant in Barcelona: Cerveceria Catalana. We jumped in my car and
- [12 Vital Questions for Any New Business](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/31/12-vital-questions-for-any-new-business/) - Global Entrepreneurship Week It is Global Entrepreneurship Week on 18 November through 23 November. There are events all over the world. The overall organisation website is: www.unleashingideas.org. You can find out more following twitter hashtags #GEW, #GEWSpain, #IESEGEW. There will be plenty of events in your city led by Entrepreneurs' Organisation, The Kauffman Foundation and many more
- [Leaders Go First.  The First Steps on Learning Leadership.](https://conorneill.com/2013/08/31/leaders-go-first-the-first-steps-on-learning-leadership/) - Leadership: You Have to Go First. I love this little Dilbert storyline from Scott Adams: Employee: "I find it rather demotivating that you never praise me for a job well done." Boss: "You've never done a job well." Employee: "That's because I'm demotivated." Boss: "You have to go first." Employee: "Wouldn't that make me the
- [Become Indispensable: Solve Interesting Problems](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/21/become-indispensable-solve-interesting-problems/) - Question for you: What do you have as your description line in your LinkedIn profile? Mine says "Moving People to Action" What does your LinkedIn Description say? I see several varieties of description. Some people just put their job title: "VP Marketing at Corporation Inc". Some people an abstraction of their past experience "Experienced
- [Five ideas to start your week](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/13/five-ideas-to-start-your-week/) - Five little productive ideas to start the week from five interesting bloggers and authors. The end of busy at Zen Habits from Leo Babauta. “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” Lao Tzu. Feeding the Idea Beast at the 168 hour blog by Laura Vanderkam. Where do breakthrough ideas really come from? PS Not checking
- [Leading Teams: The 5 Styles of Managing People](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/15/leading-teams/) - I was teaching a seminar recently and a young film producer told me "I am not a good manager". I asked him why he believed this. He described a recent series of disasters that he had overseen with his team. I asked him "who are the people on your team?". He said his cousin helped
- [How Pixar predicts mastery in a potential employee](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/07/how-pixar-predicts-mastery-in-a-potential-employee/) - Randy Nelson, Dean of Pixar University, outlines four criteria that they look for when hiring new people into the team at Pixar. Depth (in any area) - Randy believes that the best predictor of ability to master any one area is if somebody has already mastered another area. It is more likely that someone who
- [Knowingly Bad](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/14/knowingly-bad/) - You can't begin to improve at something until you are "knowingly bad". If you are not aware of the lack of something, you haven't got "taste" yet. If you think you are the best blogger in the world, two things could be true: You really are the best blogger in the world You are blind
- [Resilience: Coping with Setbacks](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/14/resilience/) - Time after time I see promising young athletes reach the professional teams, and they don't make it. Time and time again I see someone do well in the good times, but then allow one small setback to avalanche into a total personal, business and financial collapse. Other times someone struggles through the youth ranks, shows
- [The Real Reason Why Audiences Love Reality TV](https://conorneill.com/2013/09/04/4014/) - I was watching the UK version of the TV show "The Apprentice" a few months ago. This particular week's challenge was to sell caravan and camping equipment at a trade show. Early on, there was a key decision to make: Which model of caravan would the team try to sell? Now, this was a trade
- [70% of Organisational Change Efforts Fail. 8 Steps for Leading Change.](https://conorneill.com/2013/09/19/change-management/) - 70% of organisation change efforts fail. John Kotter has an 8 step process that can reduce the likelihood that your project of organisational change (and all leadership projects mean some form of change the the existing status quo). A big source of failure is starting action before you have put together a solid base of
- [Why is it a Must for You?](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/07/why-is-it-a-must-for-you/) - Most people know what they would have to do if they really wanted to get where they want to go. But, they don't get there. Most don't even start. To Must or Not To Must If it is not a must for you, it is not going to happen. What is the holy grail between
- [Sun-Tzu's 5 Factors for Victory and 5 Attributes of a Leader](https://conorneill.com/2013/09/11/sun-tzus-5-factors-for-victory-and-5-attributes-of-a-leader/) - I just watched Thomas Hyunh speak about his lifetime obsession with Sun-Tzu, the 2,500 year old Chinese General, at Authors@Google (video at the bottom of this post). Sun-Tzu was only 30 years old when he led the smallest region of China to victory over the largest region. This victory made him famous, and made
- [Does success inevitably breed failure?](https://conorneill.com/2013/09/28/hubris/) - When does the switch from aiming to succeed to aiming not to fail occur? Has any company ever avoided it? NASA, Microsoft... and next up? Apple? Dan Ariely asks this question on his blog. Why did NASA go from the ambitious 1960's to 1980's era moon missions to the conservative, blame-finding, cover-your-arse culture of the
- [How to Choose in Life Decisions ](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/04/life-decisions/) - Crossroads? A fork in the path of life... I was with a 65 year old successful entrepreneur at a direct marketing conference on Wednesday. I had given a speech and he came up and began to chat over coffee. He finished an MBA at Harvard 30 years ago. I asked him what was going on,
- [Choose to Suffer for 15 minutes](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/18/choose-to-suffer-for-15-minutes/) - What is the best way to start a work day? I get up, I stretch, I shower, I eat breakfast... I get to my desk... and then... what is the best way to start? I think I have it. Choose to suffer for the first 15 minutes. Decide to do the most important, most scary
- [What is art for?](https://conorneill.com/2013/10/04/what-is-art-for/) - In 2001 I spent a weekend in Denmark with 3 friends. We spent Sunday morning in the sunshine visiting the Louisiana modern art museum 40 kms north of Copenhagen. The setting was beautiful, right on the coast with views over the water to Sweden. One of my friends said "this place is beautiful, its a
- [Teaching Manifesto](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/18/teaching-manifesto/) - “A person cannot teach another person directly; a person can only facilitate another's learning” Carl Rogers This is how I want to Teach: I create an environment in which participants can learn. I am responsible for setting the mood in the room. I teach leaders. I accept zero excuses. I will never, never, never provide
- [How you do Anything is How you do Everything](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/04/how-you-do-anything-is-how-you-do-everything/) - Two months ago, I was at IESE business school with Verne Harnish and his wife Julie. We were talking about entrepreneurial success and achievement. He shared with me a quote that comes from his father-in-law: "How you do anything is how you do everything." Verne's father-in-law has apartments that he rents out. What criteria does
- [An afternoon with Kilian Jornet](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/18/an-afternoon-with-kilian-jornet/) - The Psychology of High Performance I spent yesterday afternoon in Puigcerda with Kilian Jornet, an athlete who dominates two sports: alpine skiing and mountain trail running (skyrunning). He is 23 years old, but his values and approach to life and sport transmit a maturity far beyond his 23 years of age. Kilian's mother says "I
- [How to Present the News](https://conorneill.com/2013/09/12/how-to-present-the-news/) - Have you ever harboured ambitions of a role in TV news broadcast? Learn the ropes in 2 minutes with Charlie Brooker. Structure Always Matters This video is a joke (yes). However, anyone who has attended my communication courses has learnt the importance of good speech structure. It allows your message to reach the audience in
- [Success is Not about Willpower](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/23/success-is-not-about-willpower/) - Peter Shallard says that the currency of Human Potential is willpower. Willpower is a finite asset. It is like a budget that you can choose to spend as you like - but (unlike EU nations) this budget must balance. I disagree. No amount of willpower is strong enough to overcome our unconscious impulses. No amount of
- [The 5 Cardinal Sins of Presentations](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/09/the-5-cardinal-sins-of-presentations/) - Jerry Weissman, in Presenting to Win, says that there are 5 Cardinal Sins in Presentations: No clear point - the audience leaves wondering what it was all about. "What was the point?" No audience benefit - the audience doesn't see how they can benefit. "So what?" No clear flow - the sequence of ideas is
- [How to turn around a company](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/18/how-to-turn-around-a-company/) - A couple of years ago I had some discussions with Solera Capital about taking on a role in Europe leading the change at a company called Audatex, an insurance claims adjustment business. Solera explained their simple, three part philosophy that they apply to managment of their acquired companies: 30/30 80/20 90/10 30/30 - Every manager
- [Accepting Feedback](https://conorneill.com/2013/08/21/accepting-feedback/) - At the end of every course I teach at IESE Business School, all participants give extensive feedback on their experience of the course, the facilities... and on my role as a teacher. When the summarized feedback reaches me a couple of weeks later, I open the pdf in a state of nervous tension. I am preparing
- [Can we teach Entrepreneurs?](https://conorneill.com/2013/07/30/can-we-teach-entrepreneurs/) - I am in Kona, on the west coast of the big island of the Hawaiian islands. I am in Hawaii for a workshop later this week. 10 entrepreneurs who are part of the global leadership of Entrepreneurs' Organisation are meeting to pull together our ideas on how we can accelerate and deeper the teaching of
- [How to ask the best questions](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/07/how-to-ask-the-best-questions/) - I have a page of notes in my notebook about asking questions. In the spirit of breaking the mold of my blogging, I will dump it here unedited... and a bit of commentary and James Joyce style flow of consciousness thinking to follow. The best answer is a question. Ask question = control power, help
- [Dealing with Conflict: the Problem is the Problem](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/19/dealing-with-conflict-the-problem-is-the-problem/) - This is a guest post by Tobias Rodriguez. Tobias runs seminars on Conflict Management and is a leading member of Toastmasters in Barcelona. Follow him on twitter [twitter-follow screen_name='conflictmentor'] or check out his blog. An ancient Greek storyteller, called Aesop, said: An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an
- [How Ideas Die: The #1 Reason](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/26/how-ideas-die-the-1-reason/) - A person can have the great idea, but if that person cannot convince a number of people: the idea dies. Good ideas do die. Good ideas must have good advocates. Good advocacy and good idea makes an idea live. Ideas need advocates like humans need oxygen. The Leader as Communicator The Leader's #1 job as
- [Imperfect or Mediocre?](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/25/imperfect-or-mediocre/) - I just spent the last 60 minutes wasting time. I sat down at the computer with a clear intention to write an article. I opened Scrivener, my writing software. I looked at the blank page... and allowed myself to open email... check facebook... Google+, and have just now surfaced from a 60 minute black hole
- [The role of luck in success](https://conorneill.com/2009/07/15/the-role-of-luck-in-success/) - As a business owner, you tend to hear a lot of stories about better business, tips and tricks of the trade, and lessons about management. Out of all of them, though, there’s one story that has stuck with me through the years. It’s a story that taught me to enjoy every aspect of business, and
- [IESE Business School: The Truly Global School](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/14/iese-global/) - I have recently finished teaching modules on the Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) and on the Develop Your Communication Skills (DYC) Short Focussed Program here at IESE in Barcelona. The global diversity of participants really struck me. IESE has become a truly global experience - both in the MBA program, and in the variety of Executive
- [What will future jobs look like?](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/10/what-will-future-jobs-look-like/) - Economist Andrew McAfee suggests that, yes, probably, droids will take our jobs -- or at least the kinds of jobs we know now. In this far-seeing talk, he thinks through what future jobs might look like, and how to educate coming generations to hold them.Are you Bill or Ted?There is a big and growingseparation between
- [4 Great Posts on Communication and Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/10/4-great-posts-on-communication-and-leadership/) - How to Give a Killer Presentation Chris Anderson, Owner of TED Presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance, not speaking style or multimedia pyrotechnics. It’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach
- [IESE Advanced Visionary (Ethos) Communication Module](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/07/explaining-the-advanced-visionary-communication-module/) - The Visionary Leader In times of crisis, we prefer Visionary Leaders. Hope is a strong motivator to current action when the situation is difficult. In the years leading up to 2008, the USA was stuck in two protracted wars, and an economic crisis sparked by the subprime lending collapse. In this context of uncertainty, the
- [How do I become a ... ?](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/06/how-do-i-become-a/) - Good speaker? Writer? Dancer? Singer? Runner? How do I become one? How does the whole thing come together? How will I know if it really is my thing? Will it be worth it? There is only one way to find out. There has really only ever been one way. The way to mastery in the
- [After Action Review: 100,000 Blog Readers in 24 Hours](https://conorneill.com/2013/06/04/tsunami/) - I've been blogging fairly consistently now for about 4 years. I try not to focus on metrics, just spend time writing posts. I try to write for myself, not to write for fame or fortune or impact... However, there has always been a little dream that sits at the corner of my conscious mind of
- [Seven Speaking Suggestions from Reagan's Speechwriter](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/21/seven-speaking-suggestions-from-reagans-speechwriter/) - “When you forget yourself and your fear, when you get beyond self-consciousness because your mind is thinking about what you are trying to communicate, you become a better communicator” Peggy Noonan. On Speaking Well I have just read "On Speaking Well" by Peggy Noonan, speechwriter to Ronald Reagan. She sums up persuasive speaking with seven
- [Making good first impressions via Email](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/08/making-good-first-impressions-via-email/) - 11 Ways to Improve Email First Impressions Subject Line: In your subject line, give the recipient a reason to read your message. When replying, change the subject line if the topic changes. Make it easy to forward. Be specific: Know what you want and communicate it clearly. Ask yourself “what do I want the reader
- [The Simple Maths of Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/13/the-simple-maths-of-leadership/) - My friend Bill Treasurer's fourth book "Leaders Open Doors" is now available. In 90 easy to read pages, Bill cuts layers of confusion out of the term "Leadership". Bill had an "Aha!" moment about a year ago. (I mean Aha as in the story of Archimedes in the bath). Bill has been teaching, coaching and
- [Conformity and Submission to Authority ("Willful Blindness")](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/23/conformity-and-submission-to-authority-willful-blindness/) - I am sitting in the auditorium at IESE Business School listening to Margaret Heffernan speak about her book "Willful Blindness". She is a wonderful speaker, sharing both clear framework of ideas and specific personal experiences. I have scribbled about 5 pages of notes on her material, but will limit this blog post to discuss two
- [Deserving Money? 4 Millionaires Earn and Spend.](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/30/what-is-money/) - The 4 Millionaires Four millionaires are sitting on a park bench. Its a sunny Thursday morning. While many others are working the 9 to 5 routine, George, David, Jonathan and Paul are relaxing in the park. As you look at George, David, Jonathan and Paul nothing much stands out. 4 standard guys in a park. They
- [10 Rules to Look Like you are Working Hard](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/10/10-rules-to-look-like-you-are-working-hard/) - Sometimes I want a lazy day. Sometimes I don't feel like producing good work. I often blog about productivity, about removing purposeless-busy-ness from our lives; but sometimes I don't car and I want to give the impression that I am really working hard. Here are 10 golden rules for looking like you are working hard:
- [What's your Metaphor?](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/11/whats-your-metaphor/) - As I listen to the conversations around me, I hear many uses of metaphor:"Dublin is a maze","Anna has a flood of new ideas","Business is war","John is a waste of space","An MBA is a passport to a new career".Metaphors are supremely powerful communication devices. They allow us to understand something new, framed as a version of
- [Career Advice From LinkedIn's Billionaire Founder Reid Hoffman](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/13/career-advice-from-linkedins-billionaire-founder-reid-hoffman/) - Reid Hoffman says it took him 15 years after graduating from Stanford to figure out what he wanted to do with his career. Hoffman eventually founded LinkedIn, a $19 billion public company. On graduation, he thought he would become an academic. Then he started some companies. Several failed... then he created LinkedIn. It didn't fail
- [Human Stupidity: Can we Reduce Stupid Action?](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/10/human-stupidity-can-we-reduce-stupid-action/) - This is a Speculation on Human Stupidity. What is the probability that a given human will do something stupid? There is a simple mathematical relationship for Stupid Action (SA). This is an equation that can predict the likelihood of human stupidity, or its specific realization The Stupid Action (SA). Where PSA is the Probability of Stupid
- [Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 163) - Richard Branson](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/04/quotes-for-public-speakers-no-163-richard-branson/) - Wise words from Richard Branson: "to be an impressive public speaker, you have to believe in what you are saying..."
- [A Manila taxi driver scam and other doubts about blogging](https://conorneill.com/2013/05/03/a-manila-taxi-driver-scam-and-other-doubts-about-blogging/) - I don't know what to write about. It happens. I haven't written anything on the blog for a couple of weeks now and know that if I leave it for much longer this habit of blogging will become harder and harder. So I'll write this post. What to write about when I have nothing to
- [Beware of Experts](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/26/beware-of-experts/) - Experts get it wrong. The price we pay in trusting experts to take the important decisions for us is huge. We don't like uncertainty. Experts give us a sense of certainty. I don't know what to do with my savings. I go to a financial "expert". He tells me what to do. I hand it
- [IESE Webinar [Video]: Develop Your Communication Skills](https://conorneill.com/2013/04/18/iese-webinar-video-develop-your-communication-skills/) - The Webinar: This is the recording of the IESE Develop Your Communication Skills webinar we ran on 13th April 2013. It is here on the IESE Business School YouTube channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XOnd5eJsHE Storify Summary of the Webinar via Twitter Hashtag: #iesewebinar https://twitter.com/iesebs/status/324062812026572801 Resources cited in the Webinar: Slideshare: Slides from the Webinar TED-Education Lesson: What Aristotle
- [How to get Attention: The 7 Triggers of Fascination](https://conorneill.com/2013/04/15/get-attention-7-triggers-fascination/) - When I step on stage to speak, I get 8 seconds before the listener decides how to categorize me: worth attention, or time to check my mobile email What are your first words? When I meet someone at a conference, a party, an event... again - we have 8 seconds. Catch attention, or the other
- [7 Typical Challenges of Weak Communicators](https://conorneill.com/2013/04/09/7-communication-challenges/) - 7 Challenges of Weak Communciators These are 7 challenges that can be overcome if you take the time to improve your communication skills. Some have very quick fixes, others require considerable practice to turn into strengths. I lose people’s attention easily People agree, but then do nothing People avoid my phone calls (… at least
- [13 ideas if you are thinking about blogging](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/26/13-ideas-if-you-are-thinking-about-blogging/) - Blog about what you are learning about, not what you are an expert in I think you should be blogging. I know you have something to say. Start Blogging Now! 13 "get-your-blog-going" thoughts from a conversation with Benedict on the road between Lausanne and Vevey this morning: Write about what you are learning about, not
- [Five and a half reasons why you should start a blog today](https://conorneill.com/2009/12/09/five-and-a-half-reasons-why-you-should-start-a-blog-today/) - 6 Reasons to Start Blogging Now "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret" Jim Rohn Clarity of Thinking - It will force you to become a better thinker and get clear on your beliefs. It will force you to read to gather material. It will
- [How not to waste a life. The real responsibility of parents and schools.](https://conorneill.com/2009/11/27/how-not-to-waste-a-life-the-real-responsibility-of-parents-and-schools/) - This week we decided where my daughter will go to school - potentially for the next 15 years. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what criteria are important in selecting a school and this blog is a summary of 3-4 months of that reflection. To Prepare One for Living How do you
- [Yahoo pays Millions to Teen Coder (the real story)](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/31/yahoo-pays-millions-to-teen-coder-the-real-story/) - The story in the tech news of the last few days is the purchase of Summly by Yahoo for the sum of $30M, making the 17-year old founder Nick D'Aloisio an instant millionaire. It sounds fairly simple. The story they want you to believe: Teen whizz writes cool app. App downloaded by millions. Yahoo gets
- [Announcing: IESE Communications Skills Webinar](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/29/announcing-iese-communications-skills-webinar/) - Join me for a Free Webinar on Develop Your Communication Skills In this webinar, IESE Lecturer Conor Neill will share his research on persuasive communication. April 12, 2013, 13-14h CET Password: skills Speak Powerfully Discover how to speak powerfully and communicate effectively in a variety of contexts, capture the attention of your audience and make your body language
- [How to Handle Questions during your Presentation](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/01/how-to-handle-questions-during-your-presentation/) - I had a question from one of the participants, Thomas, last week in the IESE Persuasive Communications Seminar in Barcelona. He asked "If you are caught off guard with a question - how do you react, or how do you turn around a question without answering?" Don't do the Rabbit The "Rabbit-in-the-Headlights" look, wide-eyed surprise
- [6 Steps for Business Problem Solving](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/09/6-steps-for-business-problem-solving/) - The 6 steps for Business Problem Solving What is the Problem? What Alternatives exist? What Criteria are important? Analyse alternatives against criteria Choose the Best Option. Define the Execution Plan. These steps come from the IESE MBA Course Analysis of Business Problems (ABP). Wikipedia has a great section on Structured Decision Making models.
- [2 Ways to Call to Action](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/28/2-ways-to-call-to-action/) - There are 2 ways to call to action as you finish a speech. It is important in a persuasive speech to leave it clear to the audience what action they can take. There are 2 ways to present that action. Do you use effective call to actions when you communicate? Is can be powerful to
- [Eat that frog. The only thing you need to know about time management.](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/28/eat-that-frog-the-only-thing-you-need-to-know-about-time-management/) - Productivity put simple. This is a guest post by Dimitri Uralov, a Barcelona based entrepreneur and financial coach. When Conor offered me the chance to write a post on time management for this blog, we laughed as I commented that most people would probably find the truth about productivity too simple. "Most people would probably find
- [Twelve True Traits of Transformational Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/01/transformational-leadership/) - Let Go of Things Others Can Do - Avoid busy-ness as a sign of productivity Encourage Initiative - Allow falling-forward-failure, Destroy comfort-zone; The Institutional Yes Direction and Discipline - Ensure people have goals and know how they are doing Excruciating Accountability - hold themselves and others to clear process goals (under own control) Focus - Don't dilute energy;
- [How to write a book in spite of yourself ](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/25/how-to-write-a-book-in-spite-of-yourself/) - "It's extremely difficult to do something big. I think setting out to do something small is easier and more likely to work.” Seth Godin If you are reading this, I will assume that you writing a book or are thinking about writing a book. What is holding you back? What obstacle sits between you and
- [10 Things we Hate about Bosses](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/09/10-things-we-hate-about-bosses/) - 10 things that employees surveyed last year by the Great Place to Work organisation said contributed to poor management: Lack of Recognition and Appreciation - employees who believe that managers do not really appreciate the work, energy and effort put in during their days and sometimes evenings Poor Communication - employees want to find out
- [Audience Analysis](https://conorneill.com/2013/03/12/audience-analysis/) - The purpose of giving a speech is to give the audience something valuable to them. If I open most of the books on communicating well that I have on my bookshelf, they will tell me that step one is to know my audience. How do we achieve this? How to do Audience Analysis First, you
- [Writing to Reflect. Mindful Leadership.](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/08/writing-to-reflect-mindful-leadership/) - "Writing is among the greatest inventions in human history, perhaps the greatest invention, since it made history possible. Yet it is a skill most writers take for granted. As adults we seldom stop to think about the mental-cum-physical process that turns our thoughts into symbols on a piece of paper." Andrew Robinson, The Story of
- [The best teacher I had in school](https://conorneill.com/2010/04/20/the-best-teacher-i-had-in-school/) - Mr Matz. He taught biology. I was 14. I was living in Chicago having moved from Dublin and going to New Trier Township High school up in the northern suburbs. Mr Matz started the first class by holding up the biology textbook and asking how much it was worth? $30. He told us that if we learnt everything
- [Meaningful Contribution](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/18/meaningful-contribution/) - You are probably pretty good at your job. You do it at least well enough to keep it. I bet you are actually pretty good at it when you decide to focus on it, when you give it 100%. But... Do you enjoy what you do? Being good at something is not a good reason
- [[Slideshare] Presenting as Yourself](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/18/slideshare-presenting-as-yourself/) - Chiara Ojeda who writes the Tweak Your Slides blog has recently posted a new set of visuals called Presenting As Yourself. It has powerful visuals. It provides great reminders of the important aspects of communicating with impact; communicating in a way that engages the audience and lets your message stick. Presenting As Yourself What are
- [3 Leadership Lessons from Carlos Ghosn](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/12/3-leadership-lessons-from-carlos-ghosn/) - In the last issue of IESE Insight magazine, Carlos Ghosn offered three key lessons he has learned during his career. First, he said, "Every problem has a solution," but business leaders have to be prepared to pay the personal or collective price that will come with a given solution. Second, things have to get worse
- [Failure is Carelessness, Success is Consistency](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/11/careless/) - Failure is Carelessness, Success is Consistency This Sunday I was at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to watch the key Six Nations Rugby game between Ireland and England. England won. The Irish guy sitting next to me says: "We were by far the better team." I said "The score doesn't show that. We were more
- [22 Excuses that I use to not Do Important Work](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/07/22-excuses-that-i-use-to-not-do-important-work/) - Here are a few of the excuses I tell myself in order to procrastinate: They won't let me I am too young I am too old I am only one person I don't know enough I am not a guru This could be embarrassing This will be embarrassing This is too touchy-feely I won't get
- [The Dummies Guide to Behavior Change: Obscenely Small Steps](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/02/behaviour-change/) - The 3 Keys to Change The 3 keys to making a behavior* change in our lives are: Feel The Over-Arching Why Create Motivation Triggers Reduce Activation Energy The Overarching Why If you woke up tomorrow and the problem was solved, how would you feel? what would be different? what pain would be gone? Action: describe
- [If You Can't Explain What You Do in a Paragraph, You've Got a Problem](https://conorneill.com/2013/02/01/explain-in-one-paragrap/) - I so loved the title of Brad Feld's post, that I just had to copy the title. This is an important one. We live in a world of personal branding, quick online reputation checks and a lot of noise. Authors, Entrepreneurs and job seekers get less and less time to explain themselves. This morning I was
- [Writing the perfect business memo](https://conorneill.com/2009/01/25/writing-the-perfect-business-memo/) - For the rest of your life begin every memo with the word "This." It allows you to get started, and to tell the reader in the first sentence what the purpose of the memo is. If it's under €3 million, put it on a single page. This forces you and your reader to focus only
- [Eliminate the Unnecessary](https://conorneill.com/2013/01/26/eliminate-the-unnecessary/) - "Art is the elimination of the unnecessary." Pablo Picasso I finished a wonderful 3 day seminar this week in Madrid with 30 directors ranging from industries as diverse as agriculture, to mobile handset makers, to pharmaceuticals to drinks. The course began on Tuesday morning at 9am as the participants introduced themselves, their challenges and their
- [TED Education: What could Joshua Bell do?](https://conorneill.com/2013/01/17/ted-education-what-could-joshua-bell-do/) - This post is a follow up to the TED-Education post yesterday: What Aristotle and Joshua Bell teach us about Persuasion. If you haven't already watched the lesson, you'll need to as background to the material in this post. You can watch it here on TED Education. What could Joshua Bell do to get his music heard
- [The 3 Hardest Words in Management](https://conorneill.com/2013/01/02/the-3-hardest-words-in-management/) - What are the 3 words that managers find hardest to say? They are possibly the 3 words that parents find hardest to say to children. They are 3 words that teachers very rarely say to their students. They are not "You're the Best". They are not "I love you". What might they be? The 3 hardest
- [The Chosen Sacrifice](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/28/the-chosen-sacrifice/) - No written word, no spoken plea Can teach our youth what they should be Nor all the books on all the shelves Its what the teachers are themselves Anonymous, quoted by John Wooden (at 4:12 in the video below) What is True Success? John Wooden's simple answer: to know you did your best. It is
- [The Focus for 2013](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/21/the-focus-for-2013/) - The photo is the view just before my last class of 2012. As we reach the end of another year, I am reminded of a quote "The days go slow, the years go fast." This year has flown by. I feel like summer has only just passed, and here we are approaching the end of
- [](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/19/2143/) - How to apply "horse-sense" to ridding yourself of self-consciousness and fear:
- [Why the Rhetorical Journey?](https://conorneill.com/2010/05/06/why-the-rhetorical-journey/) - A friend of mine, Roger, asked me "Why do you call the blog The Rhetorical Journey?". I am a fan of U2. I have been since I was 10 years old. On the album "Rattle and Hum" there is a recording of an interview between a journalist and Bono and The Edge of U2. The
- [The Speech Act Theory of JL Austin](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/10/the-speech-act-theory-of-jl-austin/) - The Words, the Meaning, the Effect As we communicate, there are 3 separate processes at play: what we say, what we mean when we say it, and what we accomplish by saying it A rhetorician would call these 3 separate processes: 1) locution, 2) illocution, and 3) perlocution. In my courses we use the shorthand "Point X" to
- [Focus](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/14/focus/) - Warren Buffett and Bill Gates were speaking. A member of the audience asked "What is the key to your success?" Without hesitation, both Bill and Warren responded "Focus". The Power of Focus In 1985 Steve Jobs was sacked from the company that he founded. 11 years later he returned to a deeply troubled company. Upon
- [Video: 4 Steps to Great Public Speaking](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/24/video-4-steps-to-great-public-speaking/) - I have prepared a series of short videos for my IESE courses this year. This is a 3 minute video describing the 4 steps to great speaking. (The video is here on my blog). 4 Steps to Great Speaking This video is inspired by Jim Rohn and his approach to speaking well. I wrote a
- [Do it anyway.](https://conorneill.com/2010/07/15/do-it-anyway/) - This was written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta and is widely attributed to her. It is often given the title "Do it anyway": Do It Anyway People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be
- [Success: It is not luck, it is Return on Luck](https://conorneill.com/2012/05/28/success-it-is-not-luck-it-is-return-on-luck/) - Last week, I listened to Jim Collins at the Growth Summit in Barcelona. He shared 4 hours with us via video. There were three concepts that he shared with us that really struck a chord with me. Today I wanted to put down my thoughts about the final concept that Jim shared: Return on Luck.
- [50,000 views of Video "Improve Your Speaking"](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/05/improve-your-speaking/) - The big news at YouTube: Whilst Psy's Gangnam style is rapidly approaching 1 billion views, one of my uploaded videos achieved 50,000 views today. 50,000 video views today https://twitter.com/cuchullainn/status/276259530587918336 The top demographics are: "Male, 45-54 years", "Male, 35-44 years", "Male, 25-34 years" So, whilst Psy's video Gangnam style is reaching 1 billion views, I am
- [The 8 Universal Human Laws](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/02/universal-human-laws/) - Mythology and The Human Experience As part of the Greek and Roman Mythology course that I have been following for the last 10 weeks, our teacher Dr. Peter Struck has been drawing out a number of "universal human laws" from the myths. We read of Odysseus, of Aeneas, of gods, of monsters. We read material
- [The Future of Education. Review: Coursera "Greek and Roman Mythology"](https://conorneill.com/2012/12/01/review-coursera-greek-roman-mythology/) - I finished my first expedition into the world of MOOCs - Massive Open Online Courses - this week. I have completed a 10 week course on Coursera run by a team led by Dr. Struck of Penn State University. The course was titled Greek and Roman Mythology. How was the experience? In four words: Hard
- [Terrible or Fantastic? Do we need more Shoes?](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/26/terrible-or-fantastic-do-we-need-more-shoes/) - In the late 1870s, A Dublin-based shoe company sent 2 salespeople from their head office to a new territory in rural Africa. The two salespeople, Willy and Jimmy, travelled out on boat, trains and foot to reach the rural African areas that was to be their new sales area. 2 months later, 2 telegrams arrived
- [New Element Isolated: The Chemistry of Governmentium: ](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/23/new-element-isolated-the-chemistry-of-governmentium/) - My father sent me an email that made me laugh today. The original source is unknown, but the meaning is universal... The Chemistry of Governmentium The new element is Governmentium (Gv). It has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312
- [How do I become a better Listener?](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/20/how-do-i-become-a-better-listener/) - How do I become a better listener? Become aware of what level you are listening at. There are 5 levels of listening: not listening hearing the noise, waiting for silence hearing the words, preparing my response hearing the meaning from my point of view hearing the emotion, meaning and point of view of the other
- [The Most Important Lesson of Toastmasters](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/18/toastmasters-lesson/) - In 1910 two adventurers, Scott and Amundsen, were on a race to the last unexplored point on the planet, the south pole. Scott was the hero of the British Empire: older, more experienced and with lots of resources at his disposal. Amundsen was the hero of Norway. They both arrived at the shores of the
- [Overwhelmed or Overloaded?](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/12/overwhelmed-or-overloaded/) - I hate the feeling of being overwhelmed. It tends to hit me about 2 or 3 in the morning. I wake and can't fall back to sleep. I go through the motions of little bits of meditation, of focusing on breathing... but all for nothing. I am not going back to sleep. My inner battle
- [The Top 10 TED Talks of All Time](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/11/the-top-10-ted-talks-of-all-time/) - These are the top 10 TED talks of all time (by total views on TED.com). 1.- Sir Ken Robinson – Schools kill creativity – 13M views 2.- Jill Bolte Taylor – Stroke of insight – 9.6M views 3.- Steve Jobs – How to live before you die – 9.3M views 4.- Pranav Mistry – The thrilling potential of Sixth Sense technology – 9M views 5.- David Gallo – Underwater
- [How to tell great stories](https://conorneill.com/2010/05/18/how-to-tell-great-stories/) - Ira Glass, presenter of This American Life, tells us that there are three basic building blocks of the story - the anecdote, "bait" and moments of reflection (video here). We improve a story by building up the central conflict, ensuring that the listeners can relate to one of the central characters and by adding surprise.
- [Three things to control when negativity "kidnaps" our brain](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/01/three-things-to-control-when-negativity-kidnaps-our-brain/) - I just heard Mario Alonso Puig speak at the Entrepreneur's Organisation University at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. Mario Alonso Puig is a brain surgeon who has spent 30 years looking at the changes in the brain caused by stress, negativity, depression and the role of the "little voice". Our 3 Inner Critics There are
- [How can I learn to be more Influential?](https://conorneill.com/2012/11/01/be-more-influential/) - Daniel Shi gives a simple but profound answer to "How can I learn to be more Influential?" over on Quora: I think that you can certainly become influential without having to do something "extraordinary." 7 Steps to become more Influential Connect with many people. Learn that just because someone may not be important today, it doesn't
- [Networking in Seven Simple Steps](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/27/networking-in-seven-simple-steps/) - This post was originally published at IESE Insight Business Knowledge Portal and is based on the longer technical note "Creating and Nurturing your Social Network: The Art of Building Long-term Mutually Beneficial Relationships" written by Fabrizio Ferraro and myself last year. Networking is like brushing your teeth. Networking is like brushing your teeth. Does it feel
- [Public Speaking Fail #1: Irrelevance](https://conorneill.com/2012/10/25/public-speaking-failure/) - Irrelevant "Yeah sure, I get it... that's all interesting, but so what?" Jeff Weiner on Irrelevance Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, blogs about a public speaking fail - and three lessons he learnt from the experience. He delivered a speech that he had delivered 15 times over the previous year. When he finished, he experienced
- [Why you should not be an Entrepreneur](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/09/why-you-should-not-be-an-entrepreneur/) - I listened to a podcast from Barry Nalebuff of Yale University and founder of drinks brand Honest Tea (sold 40% to Coke for $43Min 2008; apparently Barrack Obama's favourite drink is "Black Forest Berry") as I sat on British Airways flight BA10 from Sydney to Bangkok. He spoke compellingly of why a decision to be
- [The school of the future](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/19/the-school-of-the-future/) - I have posted about education a few times in the past. (The purpose of school, The best teacher I had in school, How we really learn). The School of the Future What is the future of education? I think Ken Robinson has some great ideas for education delivery, and Seth Godin on how education will
- [Education: To make a living or to make a life?](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/13/education-to-make-a-living-or-to-make-a-life/) - What should we learn? How to make a living or how to live a life? Where should we learn it? Who should be responsible for us learning it? Ourselves or the state? Make a living or make a life? In the case of universities - it it really to learn how to do something? Or
- [There is no Freedom without Self Discipline](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/27/there-is-no-freedom-without-self-discipline/) - Freedom is dangerous without self discipline. Few people will get anything important done in life without a boss, a parent, a teacher. It is the removal of freedom that allows creation. Completion requires constraints: deadlines, scope, format... We chaff at the chains, but they serve us. My boss is an idiot, but without her insistance
- [How to tell if you have a good idea](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/06/how-to-tell-if-you-have-a-good-idea/) - Greg Digneo of Cloud Marketing Lab wrote a beautifully simple explanation over at Triiibes of how to test an idea before you spend any money building. Even "small" ideas like hosting a webinar or writing a short/free ebook to give away on your blog can be tested even before putting time into creating it. 4 Steps
- [What is an Entrepreneur?](https://conorneill.com/2011/12/14/what-is-an-entrepreneur/) - My definition of an entrepreneur: Someone who has more ideas than resources. "But I don't have any ideas..." If you don't have ideas, then you are not an entrepreneur. There are millions of things that frustrate me every day. Find something frustrating and think how to reduce the frustration. If you are not frustrated by
- [Develop your Communication Skills: Testimonials](https://conorneill.com/2012/07/07/develop-your-communication-skills-testimonials/) - What did the participants in my last 3 day Develop Your Communication Skills program think about their time on the course?Thanks to the participants in my last 3 day short focussed program for their help in making this video.Next editions in english: May 7-9, 2013 in BarcelonaDevelop Your Communication Skills Information pageNext editions in spanish: November 20-22,
- [The Most Important Question for a Speaker](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/23/the-most-important-question-for-a-speaker/) - I was asked by Irina Kremin to give her a tip for speakers. I gave her "The most important question for a speaker". Video here and summary on Irina's blog: Best Conference Tips. It was a fantastic experience to spend a weekend with Europe's Toastmasters organisation. Irina has provided a nice summary of my educational
- [Can I meet Jimmy Wales?](https://conorneill.com/2012/10/15/can-i-meet-jimmy-wales/) - Networking via email 101 Once in a while I get an email from someone asking to meet me. The email subject is strong enough for me to open the email. The sender uses the 6 ways to get action from your emails. However, I get the feeling that this meeting is going to be a
- [The Rules of Soft Power](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/01/the-rules-of-soft-power/) - "Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong." Lao Tzu Soft Power is part of Leadership Soft Power is necessary
- [5 little things put a Leader in the top 10% of performance](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/27/5-little-things-put-a-leader-in-the-top-10-of-performance/) - I come more and more to the conclusion that excellent performance is not about complex innovations, but about small habits. Excellent performance is about small habits I am reading Leading with Emotional Intelligence by Redlan Nadler. He quotes from book The Extraordinary Leader by Zenger and Folkman. They found that doing 5 specific things really well
- [The 3 Basic Questions of Good Business](https://conorneill.com/2012/10/11/3-rules-good-business/) - Good business has been done the same way for centuries. The medium does not change the rules for success. Question 1: Who exactly do you help? Who do you help? What problem do you solve for them? How can you make that pain tangible for the listener? Effective sales is about helping a customer understand
- [Conor Neill Interviewed by Augere](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/14/interviewed-by-augere/) - I was recently interviewed by Augere, one of the worlds leading coach development organisations. They conduct an anual review of the state of leadership in Spain and Latin America. The interview (in pdf) is available in english here; y en castellano aqui. Some of our discussion: - do you agree that work related stress is bigger
- [TEDx Raval is on this Saturday 3rd March](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/01/tedx-raval-is-on-this-saturday-3rd-march/) - TEDxRaval (March 3, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain) will host over 100 members of the digerati interested in up-and-coming trends in technology and innovation. Learn from the leaders of technology startups and companies as they share best practices, growth strategies and stories of disruptive product development. The event will be packed with top speakers, case studies
- [Losing my Fear of Public Speaking](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/07/losing-my-fear-of-public-speaking/) - This is a guest post by Silvia Bach. Silvia Bach (@silkebcn) is from Barcelona, studied journalism, works in the retail fashion industry. Her dream: To become a professional motivational speaker. She works with teams to ensure they do something special everyday. More about Silvia Bach. Losing my Fear How can we explain the lack of
- [The Super-Power of Persuasive Communication](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/23/the-super-power-of-persuasive-communication/) - This is a guest post from Valerio Flumini. Valerio is a business consultant. He loves learning, problem solving and great people. He combined all three during his MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona; he will shortly start a new career at Averda. The Super-Power of Persuasive Communication Last night, I was watching an episode
- [The measure of the life that we live](https://conorneill.com/2009/05/01/the-measure-of-the-life-that-we-live/) - An old traveller has seen the world. He is restless and keeps moving. One day he is in the distant mountains in an area not known to him.On this particular day, after a long walk through a mountain valley, he sees a shady tree and what looks like a good place to rest on the
- [Managing cats and dogs](https://conorneill.com/2009/09/11/managing-cats-and-dogs/) - I was recently at a lunch at IESE where Professor José Ramón Pin told a good story about human resources. If you want innovation and creativity, you need to recruit and collaborate with cats. If you want dependability and steadiness, but no surprises, you need to recruit and collaborate with dogs. If you have a
- [The 3 keys to powerful body language while speaking](https://conorneill.com/2009/09/13/the-3-keys-to-powerful-body-language-while-speaking/) - There is no simple rules for how you should stand, have your hands, look, or dress when you give a speech. However you must achieve three things in order to powerfully support the verbal message of your speech.Sandy Linver in her book "Speak and Get Results" outlines the three areas: you must transmit authority, energy
- [Starfish, Spiders, Cows, Geronimo the Apache and Entrepreneurial Start ups](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/18/starfish-spiders-cows-geronimo-the-apache-and-entrepreneurial-start-ups/) - I Heard Rod Beckstrom speak in Dubai a couple of years ago. He tells a great story about a starfish and a spider.If you come accross a spider and cut off one of its legs, what do you have? A dead leg and a 7-legged spider. If you cut off the spider’s head, what do
- [The world's best presentation](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/19/the-worlds-best-presentation/) - I was reading a post at Andrew Dlugan's blog "Six Minutes" and came across the World's best presentation.SlideShare recently concluded their World’s Best Presentation contest, and the winner was Dan Roam’s American Health Care presentation. [If you are reading this via subscription, you may need to click through to view it below.This is the world's
- [Networking 101. Nine habits to develop and deepen your Network.](https://conorneill.com/2009/10/30/networking-101-nine-habits-to-develop-and-deepen-your-network/) - Strong personal networks don’t just happen. They have to be carefully constructed. This post is a summary of my recent research and personal opinion on how you can grow and strengthen your connections.Why is developing a strong diverse Network important? It will give you three powerful benefits:Information – fast access to private information (including job
- [The 90 10 rule. How John messed up a perfectly good day.](https://conorneill.com/2009/11/04/the-90-10-rule-how-john-messed-up-a-perfectly-good-day/) - I have a monthly tradition of meeting for a 9:30am brioche and coffee in the best brioche place in Barcelona (cannot reveal the secret location) with my french-hungarian friend and entrepreneur Andre Vanyi-Robin (of Bestv and Entrepreneurs'Organisation). We met yesterday. The brioche was good.Andre told me a great story about the 90 10 rule. Neither
- [If, Rudyard Kipling](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/16/if-rudyard-kipling/) - Parador of Cardona, 9th Century Last week I was at the anual retreat of my chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organisation. We spent 3 days in the Parador of Cardona reflecting on our next year from both a professional and personal perspective. Dinner on Thursday night was a session we call "Noche Bohemia". Each person brings a
- [Talent and Skill](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/28/talent-and-skill/) - Talent you have naturally. Skill you develop through hours and hours and hours of deliberate practice. No matter how talented you are it does not matter if you do not develop skill. It takes work. 80/20 rule: The top 20% skill in each domain takes 80% of the value. The mediocre 80% share the crumbs.
- [The Same, but Different](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/01/the-same-but-different/) - Mark Twain says that as a young man he did not often agree with his father, so he left home. Years later he returns and is amazed at how much smarter his father had become. What changed?
- [Interview: Manel Baucells, Author of Engineering Happiness](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/12/interview-manel-baucells-author-of-engineering-happiness/) - Manel Baucells was the favourite Professor amongst students when I did my MBA at IESE Business School. He taught Decision Analysis. There are certain types of situation under which humans will take poor (rational) decisions. We study this subject so that we can reduce the likelihood that we will take similar poor decisions under similar
- [Moving People to Action: Emotion is necessary [Video]](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/29/moving-people-to-action-emotion-is-necessary-video/) - The importance of emotion in moving people to take action. This is a video from a recent seminar for the Barcelona Internet Startups Meetup group on the role of emotion in moving people to action. This is a great group to meet entrepreneurs, VCs and techies living in Barcelona. The third pillar of Aristotle's triad of Persuasion
- [David Ogilvy: 10 tips on Writing Well](https://conorneill.com/2012/05/05/david-ogilvy-10-tips-on-writing-well/) - On September 7th, 1982, Ogilvy sent the following internal memo to all agency employees, titled “How to Write”: The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well. Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches. Good writing is not a natural gift. You
- [Emotional Manipulators: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing](https://conorneill.com/2012/05/06/emotional-manipulators-wolves-in-sheeps-clothing/) - Emotional Manipulators: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing The Psychological literature identifies Personalities that are Manipulative, the "Wolves in Sheeps Clothing". These are people that use deceit in their dealings with those around them. The Manipulator may be conscious of their manipulation, or unconscious and blind to their willful use of
- [Come to Barcelona Developer's Conference](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/30/come-to-barcelona-developers-conference/) - I met Xavier Colomer this year. He and his team are putting together Barcelona Developers Conference17-19th November. Come along if you want to: meet top development teams in Barcelona engage with the top programming talent connect with entrepreneurs hiring tech teams... If you check out this year’s agenda, you’ll find everything from social media, to
- [Resources for Developing Relationships and Career Success Seminar](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/16/resources-for-developing-relationships-and-career-success-seminar/) - This is a central page with links to resources for participants in the IESE Business School Seminar: Developing Relationships and Career Management. Handouts: Career Management Survey Handout Further Discussion and Questions Networking Discussion Forum on my LinkedIn Group Articles on Networking Networking in Seven Simple Steps Nine habits to develop for Networking Success How to
- [The top 10 most read RJ posts of 2010](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/24/the-top-10-most-read-rj-posts-of-2010/) - As we come to the end of 2010 I did a quick google analytics review. I generally try and avoid looking at the statistics as I tell myself that I am not writing this blog for anyone other than myself... but I am a competitive soul and so many years of sport mean that I
- [On holidays in Portugal](https://conorneill.com/2010/08/04/on-holidays-in-portugal/) - Last night's sunset. I was impressed. As always, the real thing was better than the photo (like how books are always better than the movie (except Star Wars)). Sunset at Quinta do Lago, Portugal. @me I hope you are having a great August.
- [Happy Saint Patricks Day](https://conorneill.com/2011/03/17/happy-saint-patricks-day/) - photo credit: Hans Kremmers "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand." Old Irish way of saying
- [My daughter's flower safari](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/20/my-daughters-flower-safari/) - My mum has a fantastic garden in Dublin. My daughter took my camera off on a flower safari around the garden. Here is a collage of some of her photos of an Irish garden: What you don't see is the 3 kilos of strawberries that came out of the garden and are now in the
- [Increasing connections is easy. Increasing connectedness is hard.](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/22/increasing-connections-is-easy-increasing-connectedness-is-hard/) - Just because you can measure it doesn't mean it is more important. Quantity or Quality? More connections does not mean more connected. Connected is a factor of quality and regularity over sheer quantity. However, I do believe that there are ways that online can be a powerful amplified of connection. The danger is that humans
- [Procrastination, a definition](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/30/procrastination-a-definition/) - 3 criteria for a behavior to be classified as procrastination: counterproductive, needless, and delaying. Pro = forward Crastinus = of tomorrow By the way... blogging a definition of procrastination is clearly an act of procrastination. This week has been highly unproductive for me. I hope you have a great weekend. Maybe a past post on
- [10 Commandments for Business Development from Goldman Sachs](https://conorneill.com/2012/01/30/10-commandments-for-business-development-from-goldman-sachs/) - John Whitehead, co-head of Goldman Sachs in the 1970s, wrote the following 10 commandments that guided their business development efforts:Don’t waste your time going after business you don’t really want.The boss usually decides— not the assistant treasurer. Do you know the boss?It is just as easy to get a first-rate piece of business as a
- [Resources for Wayra Week Barcelona 20 Feb 2012](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/20/resources-for-wayra-week-barcelona-20-feb-2012/) - This is a resource page for the session at Wayra Week Barcelona on 20th February 2012. Event Hashtag: #wwbcnOrganiser: @Wayra Wayra.orgFollow Today's Speakers (Bios here) @rfauria @chemaalonso @ferranadria @rhuguet @cuchullainn Preparing a PitchThe 7 elements of a Pitch to InvestorsHow much should I practice? Improve your Speaking email course: http://bit.ly/practicespeakVideo Lessons:4 Steps to Great speaking5 Aspects of a Powerful VoicePosts on Entrepreneurship:Everything you need to
- [Pitching: Get the first 10 words right](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/28/pitching-get-the-first-10-words-right/) - What are the first ten words of your next pitch, speech or presentation?Participants of Wayra Week Barcelona 2012I was at Wayra Week Barcelona this week working with 30 selected startup businesses to prepare their companies for growth and investment. All were looking to raise a round of venture capital financing for their businesses.I spent a lot of
- [The Myth of Balance in Life](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/29/the-myth-of-balance-in-life/) - I am reading Mitch Joel's blog where he tells a story of Patrick Pichette, CFO of Google, responding to a question: "Do you have work/life balance?"With all of the perks, gimmicks and toys that seem to be part of the life of a Googler, and their commitment to 20% time to focus on areas of
- [Productivity, Using 5 minute gaps](https://conorneill.com/2012/01/17/productivity-using-5-minute-gaps/) - I remember watching the "Last Lecture" of Professor Randy Pausch (video embedded below). One of his messages was "show me your calendar and I will show you where you are wasting time". He spoke of one difference between productive and non-productive people: How you use the small gaps.Using the 5 Minute GapsThe productive people have
- [The Single Most Important aspect of High Performing Teams](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/30/the-single-most-important-aspect-of-high-performing-teams/) - "How do you create a happy environment?""Simple. I removed all the unhappy people."I can't remember who said this, but it rings true to me.To get the hot air balloon higher, it is simpler to remove the lead weights than to pump more hot air into the balloon canopy.Single most important aspect: Remove those that suck*
- [Speakers: Text on Slides is not a Visual Aid](https://conorneill.com/2012/01/10/speakers-text-on-slides-is-not-a-visual-aid/) - In my 8 years as a management consultant at Accenture, preparing a presentation was synonymous with preparing the Powerpoint slides. "Hey Neill! Proposal presentation this Friday..." - I immediately opened Powerpoint and started creating slides...A lot of powerpoint is not Great Powerpoint.Great Powerpoint can be a powerful addition to a great speech. As the saying goes, a
- [The importance of being Bored](https://conorneill.com/2011/12/27/the-importance-of-being-bored/) - I am terrible at being bored.I fill my days with a constant stream of activities.Three days ago, I was with my daughter on a beautiful Costa Brava beach. We were on a journey to explore the ruins of an ancient 6BC Iberian town on the cliffs (located on the head of the peninsula in the
- [6 Competencies for the Future of Labor](https://conorneill.com/2011/12/02/6-competencies-for-the-future-of-labor/) - According to the report "Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers' Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce", the top 6 competencies for success in the labor market today are:Networking - connecting to people and sharing your and their goals (Networking in 7 simple steps)Enthusiasm
- [Social Media is about Relationships](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/21/social-media-is-about-relationships/) - "Social Media is not about technology, it is about the relationships you can form" Charlene Li, author of Groundswell.I had the privilege of having coffee with Charlene Li before she spoke to 400 people in IESE Business School's Aula Magna in Barcelona at the HSM Social Media event. Watch the video of our interview on the blog."I
- [How to Live Life, by Lady Gaga](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/26/how-to-live-life-by-lady-gaga/) - "Its about knowing in your heart that you may never reach that glorious moment until you die, so live life on the edge, between heaven and hell, in purgatory." Lady Gaga (in an interview with Howard Stern.)Lady GagaLady Gaga's acoustic performance of The Edge of Glory on the Howard Stern show is amazing (click here
- [How to Put People at Ease](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/16/how-to-put-people-at-ease/) - How do you get someone who doesn’t know you to feel comfortable talking? How do you create a welcoming impression?How another person perceives you is determined by a number of things you do before you speak. I have taken this list of steps from Keith Ferrazzi.Smile. It says, “I’m approachable.”Good eye contact. You don’t need
- [How to video yourself speaking on a Mac](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/13/how-to-video-yourself-speaking-on-a-mac/) - How to make a video of yourself speaking on a Mac1) Open Photobooth. The simplest way to find it on any mac is to go to the spotlight search bar in the top right of your screen and type "photo booth" and click on the Photo Booth listed under Applications.2) Smile (optional, but helpful step)3)
- [The Persuasive Communication and Public Speaking Blogs that I read](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/09/the-persuasive-communication-and-public-speaking-blogs-that-i-read/) - These are the Persuasive Communication and Public Speaking blogs that I have up top in my Google Reader RSS feed. This is my small way of giving thanks for the great material that this group regularly contribute to the public domain of the blogosphere (do we still call it that?).I regularly read and learn from:Olivia
- [The 5 Proven Paths to Failure](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/05/the-5-proven-paths-to-failure/) - I am up in the mountains an hour from Barcelona with the Entrepreneurs' Organisation local chapter. the sun is shining. Yesterday we spent the day on a horse ranch called Hipica Can Vila working with the horses. Today, we have had a full day with Jordi Vila-Porta, author of the recently published book: "Success" ("¡Exito!").
- [Upcoming Webinar: The 3 Networks of Successful Leaders](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/05/upcoming-webinar-the-3-networks-of-successful-leaders/) - EO Core Value #4: CoolThe Entrepreneurs' Organisation (EO) will be hosting my webinar "The 3 Networks of Successful Leaders" on the 14th of October. Successful leaders build 3 carefully nurtured networks (Operational, Personal, and Strategic). In these 30 minutes I will provide 7 simple tools to accelerate the building of your three networks. Dial in
- [I still haven't found what I am looking for](https://conorneill.com/2010/08/10/i-still-havent-found-what-i-am-looking-for/) - A young man was walking along the shore of the sea. The beach was of pebbles. A wisened old man approached him. “I’ll give you one million dollars if you bring me a touchstone”. The young man paused. “What is a touchstone?” “It looks like any other stone, but when you hold it in the
- [Warren Buffett's Greatest Error](https://conorneill.com/2012/09/08/warren-buffetts-greatest-error/) - Warren Buffett, when asked: "what is the biggest mistake you have made?" has an interesting answer.He says that he has taken many poor decisions in his life, but these errors are nothing in comparison to the decisions that he did not take. It is the investment opportunities that passed by and he didn't pay attention,
- [5 Steps to Turnaround Bankrupt Companies](https://conorneill.com/2012/06/18/5-steps-to-turnaround-bankrupt-companies/) - Alfred J. Moran gives 5 steps to turnaround bankrupt or deeply troubled companies. He has turned around companies for 25 years. Here are his 5 steps:Grab the Cash.Freeze the Expenses.Interview Everyone (all the information about what is wrong and what should be done is already there).Set a strategy (a half-right strategy now is better than a
- [For Success, you only need 2 out of 3 of...](https://conorneill.com/2012/05/22/for-success-you-only-need-2-out-of-3-of/) - You only need to choose 2 out of 3 for success:Be like-ableDo great workDeliver on timeIf you are like-able and deliver on time, people will come back to you. If you do great work, and deliver on time you will make it. If you do great work, and are like-able, people will forgive many things.
- [Event 15/5: Greatness through Choice](https://conorneill.com/2012/05/08/event-155-greatness-through-choice/) - Have you read Jim Collins’ latest book “Great by Choice”? It’s a must read.Jim is beaming into Barcelona LIVE 15th May from 14:30 – 18:00 – think of it as a private movie premiere – he’s one of the best presenters I’ve ever seen. 100 execs of companies gathering in Barcelona hosted by me (I
- [Ethics in Persuasion: The Customer is Not an Idiot](https://conorneill.com/2012/05/06/ethics-in-persuasion-the-customer-is-not-an-idiot/) - Early in my seminars I tell participants that Persuasion is not Manipulation. Manipulation is getting others to do something that is of benefit to me. Persuasion is getting others to do something that is of benefit to them and of benefit to me.Where is the line between Manipulation and Persuasion? Beware of Wolves in Sheep's
- [Don't Be Cheap.](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/30/dont-be-cheap/) - "Cheaper" is never a deep human life goal.I don't often hear people say "I wish my life was cheaper".We never buy because something is cheaper. We buy because of the story we can tell ourself and others when we buy cheaper... I am a smart person because I get good deals.But, Apple is not cheaper.
- [Everyone Must Learn to Code](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/22/everyone-must-learn-to-code/) - When I was 9 years old, my father brought a Commodore Vic 20 computer home for Christmas. It came with 3k memory. It had a keyboard, a tape drive and it connected to a TV. I still remember sitting in my pyjamas and turning it on. As a child with nobody to tell me how
- [Success = 80% Diagnosis, 20% Prescription](https://conorneill.com/2012/03/19/success-80-diagnosis-20-prescription/) - Don't rush to the solution. You need to go through a good diagnosis process before the listener is ready to hear the solution. If you rush to solution, the listener is not ready to trust you.Do you take time in your meetings to really ensure that everyone shares the view of what the problem is?
- [Rhetorical Fallacies: Sliding down a Slippery Slope with Pigs](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/08/rhetorical-fallacies-sliding-down-a-slippery-slope-with-pigs/) - "I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." George Bernard ShawBeware of PigsOne tool of "pigs" in manipulative persuasion is the rhetorical fallacy. A fallacy is a deliberate mis-use of logical argument. You'll find them regularly in political, social and family "discussions". Don't get drawn
- ["You are not doing that right!"](https://conorneill.com/2012/02/03/you-are-not-doing-that-right/) - When someone tells me that I am wrong, what do I learn?"You are not doing that right!""How did you let this happen?"Do I learn what is intended? I don't think so. I don't often know what is intended - that I should feel bad or guilty; or that I need to see the world in
- [Jim Collins on the Writing Process](https://conorneill.com/2012/01/28/jim-collins-on-the-writing-process/) - My favourite business books include Jim Collin's "Good to Great". It is easy to read, simple but clear about the hard decisions that differentiate the great companies from the mediocre. His new book, "Great by Choice" is out now. Jim Collins is renowned as someone who has intense discipline in his life. I loved when
- [Create, Connect, Complete](https://conorneill.com/2011/12/30/create-connect-complete/) - This is my theme for 2012.Create, Connect, Complete.Two bloggers inspired me to give up on setting goals or resolutions at this time of year and instead take time to reflect on the trends of the last 12 months and establish 3 overall guiding principles for the coming 12 months.The first is Steve Shapiro, author of
- [Charisma](https://conorneill.com/2011/12/09/charisma/) - What is Charisma?In the words of Dr. Nick Morgan "Charisma is focussed emotion."There are 2 ways to increase your capacity to deliver "Focussed Emotion" when you speak:Remove Distractions: remove all distractions 30 minutes before you speakCare: know how the message of your speech can change people's quality of lifeWatch the video here on the blog.What
- [Sales is 18-3-1](https://conorneill.com/2011/11/21/sales-is-18-3-1/) - Sales is 18-3-1.18 calls.3 meetings.1 sale.It is never any faster, quicker or shorter. There is no easy way. There is no 100% close.There are 7 billion people in the world. 1 billion have phones. 800 million are on facebook.Keep up the 18-3-1. Don't try to make it into 18-3-2. Never works.Jerry Seinfeld was asked the
- [What I want for Barcelona 2021](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/12/what-i-want-for-barcelona-2021/) - What I want for Barcelona in 2021:Startups are a cool thing to doThere are lots of startupsWeather attracts, but passion and action keeps people in BarcelonaComfortable Inaction is viewed with contempt.The sun still shines just like today in 2011City's around the world turn to Barcelona Activa as an example of how to foster Entrepreneurship in
- [1 Day Listening Challenge](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/10/1-day-listening-challenge/) - Pay €10 every time you use the word "but...""But" is justification. It is proving that I am right. It is refusing to accept that my model of the world might need to adapt to a new and changing world.Who's Listening?Could you do this tomorrow? If you can't manage the whole day, how about one meeting?
- [The Wisdom of Steve Jobs](https://conorneill.com/2011/10/06/the-wisdom-of-steve-jobs/) - Today, Steve Jobs "slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God".I heard the news as I arrived to IESE Business School this morning. I walked into the coffee bar on the north campus, and all the conversation was about Steve. He has affected our lives. My friend Raul writes his thoughts on
- [How to Listen to a Speech](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/20/how-to-listen-to-a-speech/) - How should you listen to a speech? What is the most valuable attitude to develop as an audience member?Decide you are going to ask the first question at the end of the talk. Listen to the speaker and look for your question.There are three important benefits of asking the first question at the end of
- [Age is a Mind Thing: Breaking the glass ceiling](https://conorneill.com/2011/09/12/age-is-a-mind-thing-breaking-the-glass-ceiling/) - This is a guest post by Raul Cristian Aguirre. Raul is founder and CEO of Tango/04, poet in the Argentine tradition and Goalkeeper for the Valvidrera Senglars. He blogs at The Visibility Blog and you should follow him at @RaulCristian04.Breaking the Glass CeilingAlmost 20 years ago, towards the end of the summer, I was walking
- [Comfortable or Meaningful](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/29/comfortable-or-meaningful/) - If you want to be something more, you have to make sacrifices.The choice: Comfortable or Meaningful.This is a wonderful animated short film by Mike Dacko, his first independent film. He did all of the visuals on a laptop. What do you think of the metaphor? Did you like the story?
- [Happiness is just over that Green Hill](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/18/happiness-is-just-over-that-green-hill/) - I've always loved this song (Learn to be Still) from The Eagles. It has become my favourite over the last week on the beach and by the pool. I had never paid too much attention to the words until today... Learn To Be StillIt's just another day in paradiseAs you stumble to your bedYou'd give
- [Everything you need to know about Business](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-business/) - Here is a summary of everything you need to know about business:Revenues minus Costs equals Profits.If an initiative does not affect revenues or costs then it is not a business initiative.If costs remain higher than revenues for an extended period, you have what is known as a Charity.If you don't understand somebody it is probably
- [A Life in Status Updates](https://conorneill.com/2011/08/03/a-life-in-status-updates/) - Imagine if we lived 50 years into the future. Your grandparents are in their 30s or 40s now, your parents are teenagers.Question: What would you like to read on their facebook, linkedin, Google+, twitter, youTube or their blog? What parts of their life would you want to understand more? What stories would matter to you?My
- [Strategy and the Fat Smoker](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/30/strategy-and-the-fat-smoker/) - Does the Fat Smoker not know the deal? Is his strategy clear? Is his mission die young? Or does he really not know what the doctors are saying?I think the Fat Smoker knows the same as you and I. It is not the strategy, it is the execution that is flawed.Execution is more than knowing
- [Trading time for money](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/28/trading-time-for-money/) - Life's trades:Time for moneyMoney for timeHealth for moneyMoney for healthEffort for moneyMoney for effort
- [A Rant on Time Management](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/26/a-rant-on-time-management/) - You don't need more time management.You need to say "No" more.I watched an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert recently. She said "When I was young I used to think that if I said No to people, they would feel rejected, get angry and feel let down. Now that I am older I realise that when I
- [Resources for EO Webinar 7th July 2011](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/07/resources-for-eo-webinar-7th-july-2011/) - The Entrepreneurs Organisation is a worldwide network comprising 7500 successful business owners. This is a central page with links to resources for participants in the Entrepreneurs' Organisation Webinar: What does it really take to move people to action?Event link: What does it really take to move people to action?The whole seminar in a "Prezi":.prezi-player {
- [Kind and Tough, How a Boss should be](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/05/kind-and-tough-how-a-boss-should-be/) - I read an interview with Kathy Button Bell in the NY Times yesterday. She is Chief Marketing Officer at Emerson.She talks about being coached by the U.S. Olympic Lacrosse coach during her time at Princeton:Kind and Tough, How a Boss should be"She just knew how to inspire you to do more. The thing she always
- [Writing Good Email Subject Lines. Get your Email opened.](https://conorneill.com/2011/07/04/writing-good-email-subject-lines-get-your-email-opened/) - This post extends the 6 Ways to Get Your Email Ignored where I talked about 6 ways to increase the possibility that the reader acts upon your email.Content does not matter if the reader is not opening your emails.Vickram Ahuja commented on that post "How do you ensure your email gets READ" , highlighting the importance of
- [Great speaking: How much should I practice?](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/24/great-speaking-how-much-should-i-practice/) - Continuing on my series of short videos lessons on becoming a great speaker, I address the question "How much should you practice your speech?"Do you set aside time to practice the delivery of your speech? It can make a big difference. Please, use your webcam. (How to record yourself speaking on a Mac)My Video post Series
- [Passion and Compassion](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/16/passion-and-compassion/) - "The two most important emotions are Passion and Compassion.Without Passion, nothing happens.Without Compassion, the wrong things happen."Jan Eliasson Ex-President of the UN General Assembly, speaking at a past edition of SIME.
- [Why I didn't listen during the presentations](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/14/why-i-didnt-listen-during-the-presentations/) - I sat through 12 business presentations today. I used my laptop during most of them. Why?Show me you know me, know my reason for listeningTop reason - not a single presenter made me feel like they had something to say that was relevant to me. Not a single presenter took a moment to show that
- [Chronic Partial Attention](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/08/chronic-partial-attention/) - In a recent article Tom Friedman of the New York Times ponders whether we have evolved from the Iron Age to the Industrial Age to the Information Age to the Age of Interruption, in which the “malady of modernity” is that we are now all afflicted with chronic multi-tasking and chronic partial attention induced by cell phones, email, the internet, handhelds,
- [Student, Use University Well.](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/06/student-use-university-well/) - I just came across a talk from Derek Sivers to the class at Berklee school of Music. He shares "6 things I wish I knew before starting". Powerful stuff. It applies to anyone currently at or going to a college or university:Focus, Disconnect and Do Not be Distracted - don't let the casual ones tell
- [Some silly Inane things that make me happy](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/05/some-silly-inane-things-that-make-me-happy/) - Peeling a whole orange in one go (skin remains in one single piece); just did that now ;-)Buying something in a shop and it costs exactly the coins I have in my pocket and I rid my pocket of little 2c, 5c, 10c coinsThe smell of petrol when I fill my car; the smell of
- [Performance = Potential - Self-Sabotage](https://conorneill.com/2011/06/05/performance-potential-self-sabotage/) - We would achieve much more if we got out of our own way. The difference between the top athletes and the rest is not better physical ability, but an ability to avoid talking themselves into failure at the key moments.Performance = Potential - Self-SabotageI remember Peter Allis commenting on golf years ago. A South African
- [7 Reasons for lack of self-knowledge](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/27/7-reasons-for-lack-of-self-knowledge/) - Fear of FailureClinging to one's comfort zoneArroganceDefensivenessImpatienceRigid mindsetLack of perspectiveFrom Pablo Cardona and Helen Wilkinson's book "Growing as a Leader".Have a great weekend.
- [Spend as much time describing the problem as you do outlining the solution.](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/18/spend-as-much-time-describing-the-problem-as-you-do-outlining-the-solution/) - I was thinking about why presentations fail today. Why do so many great ideas fail at the presentation stage? Business plan presentations, entrepreneur pitches, Sales presentations? Why do they fail?There are many reasons: failure to prepare (deliberate practice), failure to clarify what you want from the audience, failure to make the material relevant to the
- [Business Strategy: How to do Business Models](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/17/business-strategy-how-to-do-business-models/) - Alex Osterwalder has a highly visual and engaging way to think about business models. The presentation below explains his simple and pragmatic way to map, analyze, design and question your business model. The 9 elements of a Business ModelCustomer SegmentsCustomer RelationshipsValue PropositionsChannelsRevenue StreamsKey ResourcesKey ActivitiesKey PartnersCost StructureThe introduction to the model is available as a free
- [Self Sabotage](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/14/self-sabotage/) - We know what to do to achieve what we want.We could make a list of the steps. We could do each of the steps.But we don't.Some people do. But most don't. I include myself.Why don't we do what we know we need to do to achieve the things that we feel we want?Why do we
- [Book Review: Double Double by Cameron Herold](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/10/book-review-double-double-by-cameron-herold/) - I met Cameron Herold at an Entrepreneurs’ Organisation meeting in Vancouver, Canada two years ago. He gave a keynote session to the group. He was passionate… and he left me with practical tools that I took home and implemented. It is rare to find this combination. Cameron delivers. He clearly has a passion to see
- [The 6 Moments of Power. Do you use them?](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/05/the-6-moments-of-power-do-you-use-them/) - Professor Robert Cialdini in his book “Influence: The Science of Persuasion” outlines six principles of ethical persuasion: reciprocity, scarcity, liking, authority, social proof, and commitment/consistency.Reciprocation - People tend to return a favor. Thus, the pervasiveness of free samples in marketing. In his conferences, Cialdini often uses the example of Ethiopia providing thousands of dollars in
- [How to stop good ideas from being shot down](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/04/how-to-stop-good-ideas-from-being-shot-down/) - Jeffrey Pfeffer says that there are 4 ways that good ideas get shot down:Confusion - "yes, but how does that address US foreign policy and the social responsibility charter and the challenges of globalisation... and the new tax situation?"Fear mongering - "uff... this will be like X back in 2008 when it all went wrong"Death
- [On perspective. It may be good, it may be bad...](https://conorneill.com/2011/05/01/on-perspective-it-may-be-good-it-may-be-bad/) - A peasant farmer lives on the outskirts of a village with his family.He comes into the village one day and is visibly disturbed. He speaks to the wise man of the village: “My horse has run away with the wild horses. I have lost my horse. This is terrible.”The wise man says “It may be
- [Reining in the State](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/27/reining-in-the-state/) - There was a wonderful letter to the editor in this week’s Economist magazine that used a powerful metaphor of an orchestra to highlight the untenable future of state social spending as currently provided. The letter was in response to Taming Leviathon - a special report on the future of the state.“Sir, you twice mentioned -
- [Happy Dia de San Jordi](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/23/happy-dia-de-san-jordi/) - Today is La Diada de San Jordi in Catalunya; also known as The day of the Rose or The day of the Book. This is as big a day as Valentine's day for folks in Barcelona. Girls give books and boys give roses to the important people in their lives.My favourite novels of the moment:The
- [4 approaches to learning a new discipline](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/15/4-approaches-to-learning-a-new-discipline/) - The US Aikido master George Leonard in his book "Mastery" speaks of 4 approaches that we take to learning new disciplines. It scares me that I might be a regular Hacker... how to shift my approach and push through "good" and reach "better" and one day "expert"?:The Dabbler - The Dabbler's learning curve rises very quickly, meets
- [You can’t be free if you pretend to be something you are not](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/13/you-cant-be-free-if-you-pretend-to-be-something-you-are-not/) - All the way from Ireland, Caroline Casey tells the story of her life, starting with a revelation. "Chains are not just made of iron, they can be made from insecurities and fear. And in fact those latter bonds are stronger than any forged by fire."You can’t be free if you pretend to be something you
- [Don't just wait for the Future. Create it.](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/12/dont-just-wait-for-the-future-create-it/) - "Building the future is not about fortune smiling upon you, but asking how hard are you willing to work for your dreams?" Entrepreneurs' OrganisationEO Alchemy. 20-22 October 2011. Los Angeles, CA.
- [Entrepreneurship is not a Panacea. It requires its own Education.](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/12/entrepreneurship-is-not-a-panacea-it-requires-its-own-education/) - Peter Thiel, founder of PayPal, says that Higher Education is the new over-inflated bubble.I agree with his premise. A nice, costly certificate from a well branded Center of Learning is no guarantee of a safe, secure life. In the end it will depend on you making use on a daily basis of the knowledge
- [Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.](https://conorneill.com/2011/04/07/your-children-get-only-one-childhood-make-it-memorable/) - photo: amioascension"Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable." I came across this quote a couple of weeks ago and wrote it down in my notebook. What makes a day memorable?I have been asking friends "what is your most memorable day of school?" over the last few weeks. In general, nobody remembers a "normal"
- [Actively Seeking Numb](https://conorneill.com/2011/03/20/actively-seeking-numb/) - photo: s.altMy grandfather achieved it with alcohol.I found it through constant activity.I sought numbness.I found a way to numb the feelings. To dull the anguish of self-doubt. To dull the feelings of not-being-good-enough. The spanish have a saying “huir hacia adelante”. To flee forward. To jump to the next thing - to run from one
- [Blindness through Busy-ness](https://conorneill.com/2011/03/14/blindness-through-busy-ness/) - A wise man is walking through rough, barren terrain. The sun is beating down intensely, drying everything in its burning blaze.He hears a noise in the far distance. It is the sound of digging. As he gets closer he finds a man digging in the dirt. The man digs, then mutters his complaint at the
- [Book Review: Lend Me Your Ears by Max Atkinson](https://conorneill.com/2011/03/12/book-review-lend-me-your-ears-by-max-atkinson/) - I just finished reading Lend Me Your Ears by Max Atkinson on my kindle. I am a regular reader of Max's Atkinson's blog. Max is a political speechwriter, a professor and a blogger. You can follow him on twitter @maxatkinson.Lend Me Your Ears is an easy read and covers the subject of public speaking in
- [Video: 4 ways to handle Anxiety](https://conorneill.com/2011/03/01/video-4-ways-to-handle-anxiety/) - I have prepared a series of short videos for my IESE courses this year. This is a 3 minute video outlining the 4 ways that you can handle anxiety or performance nerves. (The video is here on my blog).I spoke about the 4 ways of handling anxiety in a previous post 4 ways to handle
- [Regional Culture Explained](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/21/regional-culture-explained/) - Can we understand a region's culture by looking at the main cereal crop of five thousands years ago? This is a little thought experiment. This has no basis in science or fact and is merely a little story I am telling today... I very much welcome reflections and comments.Asia - riceNorthern Europe - oats and
- [Video: 4 Types of Audience](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/12/video-4-types-of-audience/) - I have prepared a series of short videos for my IESE courses this year. This is a 3 minute video outlining the 4 attitudes that an audience will have towards you as a speaker and how to approach each of these 4 types of audience. (The video is here on my blog).I wrote about the
- [How to deal with the Blows that Life Gives Us](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/07/how-to-deal-with-the-blows-that-life-gives-us/) - Life often delivers unexpected blows. How we deal with sudden shocks shapes our experience of life.How do you handle the negative shocks?You lose a treasured item. How does it affect you?You are out driving... you have a flat tire. How does it affect you?You are waiting for a train... and it is cancelled. How does
- [Video: How to be more confident](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/03/video-how-to-be-more-confident/) - The nice people at Virgin Media Pioneers asked me for some thoughts (in video) on the need for entrepreneurs to be confident, or at least appear confident."Authority is 20% given, 80% taken" Peter Ueberoth. Your confidence is a big part in getting others to treat you as a leader, to accept you as an authority. I
- [Video: The 3 Pillars of Persuasion](https://conorneill.com/2011/02/02/video-the-3-pillars-of-persuasion/) - I have prepared a series of short videos for my IESE courses this year. This is a 3 minute video describing Aristotle's Rhetorical Triad, the 3 pillars of persuasion. You need to connect with an audience on each of these three levels if you wish to move them to action. (The video is here on
- [8 Disciplines of Leadership](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/15/8-disciplines-of-leadership/) - I read Conversations on Leadership by Lan Liu when I was sitting in the IESE library recently. He interviews some of the big thinkers and identifies 8 core disciplines of leadership.Connecting with PeopleLearning from FailureReflecting on ExperienceThinking DeeplyStorytellingBeing a TeacherKnowing YourselfBecoming YourselfFurther readingLan Liu is a rising star in Chinese leadership studies. Lan Liu wrote
- [When will the economy come back?](https://conorneill.com/2011/01/02/when-will-the-economy-come-back/) - People ask "when will the economy come back". The answer is "it will not. not like it was. not like you buy an appartment and sell it in 2 years for 200%"But there will be a new economy. A big positive is that 1 billion new people will enter the middle classes in the next
- [What is a happy life?](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/25/what-is-a-happy-life/) - Sagrada Familia Cathedral: credit J SalmoralI watched a TEDx video of Ted Leonsis, internet millionaire and author of the Business of Happiness. He spoke of the research into what leads to people living happy lives.Quality of relationships: Are you connected? Do you feel connected? Do you feel significant?Productivity of units of work: Do you get
- [It really is the little things that matter most](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/19/it-really-is-the-little-things-that-matter-most/) - Yep. The stuff that seems silly. The stuff that is beneath you. The afterthoughts. The stuff that gets left out when you are in a rush, when you are on a mission to meet a deadline, when your work is more important than other peoples' work.photo credit: J A AlcaideI was in London staying with
- [Most of Life's Problems are like this Door](https://conorneill.com/2010/12/09/most-of-lifes-problems-are-like-this-door/) - I find myself in front on a huge pile of metal keys. Gold keys, iron keys, silver keys, copper keys; Old keys, new keys; Clean keys, dirty keys, rusty keys. A large imposing door is locked behind the pile. I feel a need to open the door and step into the room beyond. I look
- [How to be more Confident](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/19/how-to-be-more-confident/) - Fake it.Yes, pretend.There are three benefits that grow from you "acting" confident:Attitude follows Behavior: Over time, you become more like you act—self-assured, confident, and convinced of the truth of what you are saying.Emotional Contagion: Walk down an airport corridor and smile, and watch people smile back; change your facial expression to a frown, and you
- [Kill the Cow](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/16/kill-the-cow/) - A family lives in the outskirts of a remote village on a small plot of land. The family own one cow. Each day they live from the milk of the cow. If there is little milk, they eat little. It there is lots of milk, they eat well. The lives of the mother, the father,
- [The Origin of Leaders Part 2: Ambition](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/13/the-origin-of-leaders-part-2-ambition/) - On 9th August 2010, Ed Stafford arrived at the sea, having walked the length of the Amazon river. Over 860 days of walking, 20,000 mosquito bites, 5,000 leeches, poisonous spiders and snakes. No boss told him to do it. Nobody paid him for it. Why did he do it? How did he keep going for
- [6 ways to really use a day](https://conorneill.com/2010/11/02/6-ways-to-really-use-a-day/) - I had a shower this morning and in the moments of pause between shampoo and soap it hit me. Another day gone. Another shower. Another day beginning. Where are they all going so fast? What am I doing with all this time? My little late night brainstorm: Six ways to make sure today is not
- ["I just kept going" Scott Stratten on TED](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/29/i-just-kept-going-scott-stratten-on-ted/) - I wrote about letting go of my iphone and blackberry over the summer, I think that the best way to find energy is to be present here and now and switch off my constant running, sprinting towards the future. Here is Scott Stratten telling this story in a much more powerful and personal way on
- [It takes courage to write simply.](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/25/it-takes-courage-to-write-simply/) - I force students in my class to chose no more than 3 benefits when preparing a persuasive speech. I am always happy to have my views reinforced... Roger Parker did a great interview with Carmine Gallo, author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs a few days ago.I loved Carmine's clarity and he commented that
- [The Mindful Entrepreneur](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/24/the-mindful-entrepreneur/) - My short article "The Mindful Entrepreneur" was published in Entrepreneurs' Organisation Octane magazine this month. The story of why I got rid of the iPhone and Blackberry devices from my life last year and how I have reduced my use of email. Have a great Sunday. Going for a walk in Collserola park this morning.
- [Speaking on IESE News - The Chile Mine Rescue](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/20/speaking-on-iese-news-the-chile-mine-rescue/) - I'm on IESE news with a 3 minute video Leadership Lessons from the Chile Mine rescue: IESE News - The Chile Mine Rescue
- [Leadership lessons from the Chile mine rescue](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/17/leadership-lessons-from-the-chile-mine-rescue/) - I watched the rescue of the Chilean miners yesterday morning. It was an emotional scene. The miners coming one by one hoisted to the surface in a coffin-like metal cage from their cave through 620m of rock. Each miner arrived to a wave of cheers of "Chi-Chi-Chi... Le-Le-Le... Chile!". Each miner reacted in his own
- [How to do my best writing](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/15/how-to-do-my-best-writing/) - in new places. I write better in Starbucks than at home; the Library is good.around other people who are writingafter a napwhile readingafter watching TED videosafter speaking to interested people (not interesting, interested)when I am not trying to write a "great" post, article, book
- [The 7 most important words in management](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/11/the-7-most-important-words-in-management/) - I read this over on Terry Starbucker's blog a while back and wrote it down in my notebook.The 7 most important words in management are: "I don't know but I will find out"When you are blocked for an answer and under pressure and tempted to guess... remember the seven important words.
- [3 key moments in a human life](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/03/3-key-moments-in-a-human-life/) - Warren Rustand said that there are 3 key moments in a human life:Warren RustandRealise - Realise why you are here. Realise what is your gift that must be shared with the world. Decide - Decide to do something about it.Act - Actually do something about it.There are a few lucky people that get moments 1, 2
- [Why do customers leave?](https://conorneill.com/2010/10/01/why-do-customers-leave/) - I am in IESE's Aula Magna in Barcelona with the EMBA class of 2011. Sebastian Escarrer, Vice President of Sol Melia (they have 300 hotels with 35,000 employees in 30 countries) is speaking to the group about the challenges facing family businesses, and business leaders in the current times.One slide that I found of great
- [3 Laws for Success from Coach John Wooden](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/30/3-laws-for-success-from-coach-john-wooden/) - John Wooden's three laws for his UCLA basketball players. He is the all-time most winning coach in US college basketball.Never be lateKeep neat and cleanBe quick but don't hurry (quickness is under control, hurrying is frantic and out of control)
- [Get your customers to do your best marketing for you Part 1 of 4: Nobody talks about boring businesses](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/29/get-your-customers-to-do-your-best-marketing-for-you-part-1-of-4-nobody-talks-about-boring-businesses/) - I recently listened to John Jantsch speak about his new book "The referral engine: Teaching your Business to Market itself". This post is part of a series of 4 that provide the valuable insights that I drew from his words.The power of word of mouthJohn spends a lot of time out talking to small business
- [What keeps prospects from buying?](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/26/what-keeps-prospects-from-buying/) - If they do need your product or service, the major barrier for most prospects is a lack of trust. Put simple, they just don't trust you yet.What builds trust?ConsistencyTime in marketTestimonials and ReferralsAwardsExpertise (content, blogs, articles in magazines, books, videos)
- [The Pilgrimage. Where would you go?](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/14/the-pilgrimage-where-would-you-go/) - I was reading Richard Wiseman's blog and read that the New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman says that everyone should go on a pilgrimage to see an important piece of art.credit: jasonb42882What would yours be?It’s an interesting idea. Where would you go on your pilgrimage? It might be somewhere connected with your religion (or lack
- [Five telltale signs of a workplace that needs more courage](https://conorneill.com/2010/09/02/five-telltale-signs-of-a-workplace-that-needs-more-courage/) - I spent a few days of my summer visiting Asheville, North Carolina and spending time with a friend. I got to visit "America's largest private house" - the Biltmore Estate, built by the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt who had made his fortune in railways.My friend, Bill Treasurer has spent his life exploring, living and writing about
- [Four false myths of innovation and creativity](https://conorneill.com/2010/08/31/four-false-myths-of-innovation-and-creativity/) - Four false myths of creativity from The Innovation Architect blog:Creativity should be fun - brainstorming and coloured post-it notes are preferred to the hard work of challenging existing practices and solving recurrent problems. As a boss, are you prepared to be told that "you have been doing it wrong"?All ideas are good; all good ideas
- [6 Reasons we give up on Goals](https://conorneill.com/2010/08/21/6-reasons-we-give-up-on-goals/) - It takes longer than we thoughtIt's more difficult than we thoughtWe have other things to doWe don't get the expected rewardWe declare victory too soonWe have to do it foreverFrom Marshall Goldsmith's book Mojo.
- [Dustin Johnson, not Thierry Henry will save our Economy](https://conorneill.com/2010/08/17/dustin-johnson-not-thierry-henry-will-save-our-economy/) - I watched the world’s top golfers play in the prestigious PGA tournament over the last 4 days. This is one of the top 4 prizes in world golf and a massive achievement for the overall winner. Winning a “major” is a vital brick in the career of the world’s top golfers.I want golf and not
- [There were 5 ancient Greek philosophies of happiness](https://conorneill.com/2010/07/09/there-were-5-ancient-greek-philosophies-of-happiness/) - At the risk of gross oversimplification, there were five Greek philosophies of happiness.Socrates - only the poor, those who have nothing to lose, can be happy.Aristotle - you have to be born rich to be happy (in reality healthy, wealthy, good family, good friends). Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics introduced the good life.Epicurus - remove all causes of pain
- [Get inspiration from Blogs](https://conorneill.com/2010/07/08/get-inspiration-from-blogs/) - I am honoured to be mentioned in the same sentence as Seth Godin (video on blog). JP at Virgin UK has inspired me to share some of the top blogs that I follow and provide daily inspiration for me.Seth Godin's blogGretchen Rubin's The Happiness ProjectPeter Bregman's blog at Harvard Business ReviewTED BlogStartup Professionals Musings Verne Harnish The
- [HR's most important task. A real paradox (especially for MBAs)](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/29/hrs-most-important-task-a-real-paradox-especially-for-mbas/) - I am in IESE Business School's library today. I am reading Jeffrey Pfeffer's article "HR's most important task". He starts: "Here is a paradox. In the financial markets, investment information is rapidly and efficiently diffused. New product and service innovations, be they junk bonds, new forms of options, or debt securities that allocate and price risk in
- [The TED Commandments: 10 rules every speaker needs to know](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/24/the-ted-commandments-10-rules-every-speaker-needs-to-know/) - TED talks are some of the best speeches that I watch. TED organisers have a set of 10 rules that no speaker is ever allowed to break. This might be a lesson for all speakers.Thou Shalt Not Simply Trot Out thy Usual ShtickThou Shalt Dream a Great Dream, or Show Forth a Wondrous New Thing,
- [The power of not wanting. How goals can damage effectiveness.](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/23/the-power-of-not-wanting-how-goals-can-damage-effectiveness/) - I had two conversations yesterday, first with Dimitri in Starbucks then later with my friend Al (his blog on improving web conversion) on the telephone where we spoke about how goals can actually damage effectiveness.Wanting too much = desperation = we push people away.Not wanting at all = we say no = people want us
- [An entrepreneurial business plan is a promise](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/19/an-entrepreneurial-business-plan-is-a-promise/) - I spent Thursday at the World Innovation Forum in Barcelona. I had the opportunity to speak to a great group of entrepreneurs and some politicians and regulators about the process of pitching a business plan to professional investors. What does it take to communicate a business plan in order to raise money?I had the opportunity
- [Feeling overwhelmed? What does Jim Collins do?](https://conorneill.com/2010/06/04/feeling-overwhelmed-what-does-jim-collins-do/) - I was in the coffee bar at IESE Business school some weeks ago. I overheard the conversation: "I'll join the public speaking club in the 2nd year, it will be less crazy and I will have more time".I was reminded yesterday by a great speech from Jaume about the overwhelming flows of data of the world in which I live.Seth
- [5 Techniques to Win Over the Masses](https://conorneill.com/2010/05/01/5-techniques-to-win-over-the-masses/) - A short note inspired by a post from Verne Harnish of Gazelles. He wrote about a keynote speech by Dr. William Horton, author of Mind Control. After showing various debate clips featuring Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Obama, Horton outlined five techniques for winning over (manipulating) the masses:Encourage their dreamsJustify their failuresAllay their fearsConfirm their
- [How do you lead people to excel?](https://conorneill.com/2010/04/25/how-do-you-lead-people-to-excel/) - I just watched Michael Feiner, a professor at Columbia Business school, on Authors@Google. He talked about leadership.Jack Stack, author of the great game of business says that there are two disciplines needed in a company: optimization and innovation. I think that these overlap with the skills of management and leadership. Management is about predictability and
- [Are your values a danger to your health and happiness?](https://conorneill.com/2010/04/19/are-your-values-a-danger-to-your-health-and-happiness/) - On Friday I heard a story about values and the importance of not just accepting other's value systems without ensuring they are right for me.I remember reading a book on psychotherapy and the "pathological critic" (Self-Esteem by McKay and Fanning) that described four criteria to evaluate my personal values that allow me to check whether
- [Why do some people find games more fulfilling than real life?](https://conorneill.com/2010/04/14/why-do-some-people-find-games-more-fulfilling-than-real-life/) - This is another blog post inspired by a TED video. This one on the world of online games by Jane McGonigle. Humans spend 3 billion hours a week spent playing online games. This is a lot. Many American teenagers will have accumulated more hours playing online games than school hours by the age of 18.
- [The three types of work](https://conorneill.com/2010/04/05/the-three-types-of-work/) - There are only three types of work:Bad workGood workGreat workI think you probably know what sits in each of these categories.Bad work is pointless. It is a waste of time. It is the basis of Dilbert cartoons. Sadly, most organisations are superb at creating bad work: bureaucracy, meetings to plan other meetings, outdated processes that
- [Overcoming Adversity? Aimee Mullins at TED.com](https://conorneill.com/2010/04/03/overcoming-adversity-aimee-mullins-at-ted-com/) - How can I get through the obstacles to something better on the other side?Aimee Mullins was born without her fibular bones, the smaller of the bones connecting knee to ankle. The doctor had to tell her parents that she was disabled, had to amputate what was left of her legs and tell her parents that
- [Leadership and Self Deception. A personal question...](https://conorneill.com/2010/03/22/leadership-and-self-deception-a-personal-question/) - This question is really a game. Here is how it works:Relate a story of a time when you've made a mistake.Retell the story while only relating the actual mistake (without justification).The question is, "Why might it be difficult to do just Step 2?"I read Leadership and Self-Deception and The Anatomy of Peace from the Arbinger
- [Entrepreneur: Work on your business not in your business](https://conorneill.com/2010/03/09/entrepreneur-work-on-your-business-not-in-your-business/) - I have been a member of Entrepreneurs' Organisation (EO) for five years. There is a regular theme at any large international gathering (see you in EO Cape Town?) about the role of an entrepreneur. The saying is that "you should work on your business not in your business".The successful scale entrepreneurs are those that work
- [Who would you bet on?](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/27/who-would-you-bet-on/) - Warren Buffett gave a talk to a group of MBA students at the University of Florida in 2007. The video is at the bottom of this post (on the blog). He starts with an interesting question.He says [2:30] "Think for a moment that I granted you the right to buy 10% of the future income
- [Public speaking to change minds – lessons from the world of politics](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/25/public-speaking-to-change-minds-lessons-from-the-world-of-politics/) - This is a guest post from Rob Marchant, a key member of Tony Blair's campaign team at Labour Party head office between 1998-2002. Rob is founder of Barcelona Green, a startup aimed at climate change challenges. He examines some political examples of public speaking from the US and the UK.Loved or loathed they might be
- [Twenty minutes with Doctor Alastrue. The most important thing.](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/24/twenty-minutes-with-doctor-alastrue-the-most-important-thing/) - Yesterday, I spent 20 minutes speaking to Dr. Alastrue, a general surgeon in the Teknon medical clinic. I need to have an operation - due to too much exercise (did I mention the triathlon in June).I am currently interested in the challenges of experts communicating well to non-experts. In the case of me speaking with
- [On goal setting. How I do it. (Do not try this at home)](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/14/on-goal-setting-how-i-do-it-do-not-try-this-at-home/) - I was on the Air Europa flight back from Madrid sat with JC Duarte and Manuel Vidal-Quadras. At a certain point we watched as JC pulled up an impressive iPhone application that allows him to track his time. This led to a discussion about how to be effective with time. I feel that I am
- [A Recipe for Luck in Life](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/05/a-recipe-for-luck-in-life/) - Are some people born lucky?Richard Wiseman, author of Quirkology, describes a number of psychological experiements that he has conducted to understand the role and roots of luck in people's lives. In each case, people were asked to self-evaluate their level of luck prior to the experiments, allowing Richard to create 2 groups - the self
- [JK Rowling: The Fringe Benefits of Failure](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/02/jk-rowling-the-fringe-benefits-of-failure/) - JK Rowling gave the Harvard commencement speech in 2008. I love the way she wins over the audience by speaking about her own life. She speaks powerfully about the greatest lessons that she has learnt - always from her failures. What would JK tell her 21 year old self? "Life is not a checklist; a
- [The roots of violence: Rights without responsibilities.](https://conorneill.com/2010/02/01/the-roots-of-violence-rights-without-responsibilities/) - I listened to Warren Rustand speak on Leadership to the Entrepreneurs' Organisation event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last week. Warren is a man who has fit the experiences of several lifetimes into his own - he has been in public service, in academia, involved in not-for-profits and has been chairman or CEO of 17 organisations.He
- [Three pearls of Australian management wisdom](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/24/three-pearls-of-australian-management-wisdom/) - I was at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday and sat in the crowd with my friend Maurice. We watched Ricky Ponting and his Australia team score 267 runs against the Pakistan team on an overcast but warm day - perfect temperature for sitting outside.Maurice shared with me three pearls of wisdom that had been passed
- [Five days in Saudi Arabia](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/24/five-days-in-saudi-arabia/) - On Thursday evening I was sat at a low table with Maureen. “It is nice to be able to speak to people”. She clarified “At most events the majority would have had several beers by now”. “We can have a real conversation and I like that.”I knew that Saudi Arabia was alcohol free, but it
- [Tiger, Mozart and the Pogar sisters. How you too can become excellent. (World class even)](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/17/tiger-mozart-and-the-pogar-sisters-how-you-too-can-become-excellent-world-class-even/) - Take a look around you.Take a look at the people you work with, the people you meet at parties, even the people you just casually pass in the street. How do they spend their days?Most of them work. They do some other activities as well. They sleep, eat, cook, hang out with friends, watch TV,
- [Feel in control of your life? You will live longer. It's science.](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/14/feel-in-control-of-your-life-you-will-live-longer-its-science/) - I was reading a book by Professor Richard Wiseman (nice name for a professor) where he quotes a study by Ellen Langer of Harvard University.Half of the residents in a nursing home were given a houseplant and asked to look after it.The other half were given an identical plant but told that the staff would
- [A presentation on the presentation secrets of Steve Jobs](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/11/a-presentation-on-the-presentation-secrets-of-steve-jobs/) - I would place Steve Jobs way up there in my list of powerful public speakers. I think Steve is somebody well worth study because his presentations are so powerful because of how much hard work he puts in to making them that great.Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Barrack Obama are great speakers but somehow less
- [How to pitch a brilliant idea](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/09/how-to-pitch-a-brilliant-idea/) - The conclusion: it doesn't matter how good the idea, it matters what the "buyer" thinks of you as a person in the first few seconds of your pitch.I have just read "How to Pitch a Brilliant idea" by Kimberly Elsbach in the Harvard Business Review. In 150 miliseconds a "buyer" will have categorized you in
- [The very latest in neuroscience: Mirror Neurons and "The Great Leap Forward"](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/06/the-very-latest-in-neuroscience-mirror-neurons-and-the-great-leap-forward/) - The brain: 3 pounds, you could hold it in the palm of your hand... but it can contemplate the vastness of the universe, the reason for its own existance or why I am writing this post at midnight when I need to be up at 5am tomorrow.How?There are 100 billion neurons in the adult human
- [Its not what you do but how people perceive what you do](https://conorneill.com/2010/01/03/its-not-what-you-do-but-how-people-perceive-what-you-do/) - I came across the concept of Personal Branding via the blog of Dan Schwabel about 6 months ago and have been a regular reader of his blog. Some ideas have been percolating up through my unconsciousness and drifted into consciousness during a day skiing with my friend Javi. (Thanks to Ana, Piero and friends for
- [There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does](https://conorneill.com/2009/12/30/there-is-a-mismatch-between-what-science-knows-and-what-business-does/) - Yep, I have been watching more TED talks. This time... Daniel Pink. Thanks to Tim for the link.Daniel Pink describes a 1945 Karl Duncker social science experiment called the Candle Problem. Subjects are shown into a room and given the objects as seen in the image to the right and are asked to attach the
- [How we fool ourselves brilliantly and how Dwight D. Eisenhower became President](https://conorneill.com/2009/12/27/how-we-fool-ourselves-brilliantly-and-how-dwight-d-eisenhower-became-president/) - Most days are much the same. However, great changes in our world don't come from normal days - they are driven by the extreme events, the outliers. Something like 70% of all the drops in the US stock exchanges are due to 6 particular days of extreme share price drops. The course of my own
- [What matters most? What is your word for 2010?](https://conorneill.com/2009/12/14/what-matters-most-what-is-your-word-for-2010/) - Seth Godin asked a group of thought-provoking people to provide a word (and a 200 word essay) on what they're thinking about as the new year rolls in. He's turned that into a pdf called What Matters Now. Read more about the project at Seth's blog.I have embedded a version of the document hosted at
- [Lean Startup. Erik Ries. The one presentation that I would not miss as a startup](https://conorneill.com/2009/11/18/lean-startup-erik-ries-the-one-presentation-that-i-would-not-miss-as-a-startup/) - "This is probably the one presentation that I would not miss as a startup out of all the presentations ever made." Ville Vesterinen on ArcticStartup.com.You can watch Eric’s video presentation below. [blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/g5pUga%2B5KgI] [Those viewing via subscription may need to view original blog article to see video]
- [Great video from Seth Godin. How to finish your projects.](https://conorneill.com/2009/11/18/great-video-from-seth-godin-how-to-finish-your-projects/) - A great presentation from Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain.[Those viewing via subscription may need to click through to original blog post]I love Seth Godin's blog and entire philosophy on life. He regularly talks of the importance of people being responsible for the consequences of their actions.In this video Seth talks about breaking the chains
- [Weekly roundup of great ideas out there on the web #1](https://conorneill.com/2009/11/14/weekly-roundup-of-great-ideas-out-there-on-the-web-1/) - In the spirit of Tom Peters, I am posting a weekly roundup of some great ideas rather than a well thought through blog post this week. I am now feeling sad to see Ireland lose to France 1-0 in the World Cup Qualifier. We need a good performance in Paris next week.Five big lessons from
- [The reward for conformity is that everybody likes you except yourself](https://conorneill.com/2009/03/22/the-reward-for-conformity-is-that-everybody-likes-you-except-yourself/) - A monk and his followers live near a river. Each morning they go down to the river. One morning, a scorpion falls into the river. The monk reaches out and picks up the scorpion placing him on dry land. His hand is stung painfully.The next day, the monk and his followers go down to the
- [4 simple steps to become a great speaker](https://conorneill.com/2009/02/15/4-simple-steps-to-become-a-great-speaker/) - Jim Rohn says that there are four simple steps to becoming a great speaker:Have something to say.Say it well.Read your audience.Intensity (the right words mixed with measured emotion).How do we get something good to say? Live a full live. Meet lots of people. Fail. Succeed. Remember what it felt like and be able to share
- [Laying bricks or building cathedrals](https://conorneill.com/2009/01/25/laying-bricks-or-building-cathedrals/) - 6 months ago I had the privilege of a visit to the Sagrada Familia with the head structural architect of the works and a friend of mine who is the owner of the oldest architectural practice in Spain. I will never see the Sagrada Familia the same way again. Sharing in the passion of these

## Pages

- [Conor Neill](https://conorneill.com/) - Conor is a keynote speaker on Leadership. Senior Lecturer at IESE Business School & President of Vistage in Spain, the world's leading CEO organisation.
- [Jung for Leaders](https://conorneill.com/jung-for-leaders/) - Conor’s Jung for Leaders Series of Blog Posts Also in this series: The 12 Jungian Archetypes | A Deep Dive into Jungian Archetypes | Jung’s 5 Pillars of a Happy Life Carl Jung spent his life exploring what it means to be human. Most leadership development focuses on skills, strategy, and behaviour. Jung explores something more fundamental: the person behind
- [What I’m doing now](https://conorneill.com/now/) - (This is a now page, and if you have your own site, you should make one, too.) Updated December 17th, 2026, from my home in Barcelona. My theme for 2026 is "Gratitude, Celebration & Book" Right now I am: Book - writing a book for publishing at the end of 2026. Vistage - Leading Vistage in Spain;
- [Improve Your Speaking with Conor Neill](https://conorneill.com/improve-your-speaking-with-conor-neill/) - Improve Your Speaking with Conor Neill Join my 10-week free email course and master public speaking with exclusive exercises delivered each week. Improve Your SpeakingJoin over 16,230 learners on this 10 week programDeliver speeches that are interesting and livelyCapture and Maintain your audience’s attentionSpeaking As A Leader: Email CourseSpeech Structure – We focus on persuasion using
- [Improve Your Speaking](https://conorneill.com/improve-speaking-3/) - Improve Your Speaking Join over 16,230 learners on this 10 week program Deliver speeches that are interesting and lively Capture and Maintain your audience's attention with Conor Neill teacher at IESE Business School Get Started Now: Begin the email course. It’s currently free, just fill out our form below. 10 Powerful Public Speaking Practice exercises.
- [Speaking](https://conorneill.com/speaking/) - About Conor Neill Conor is President of Vistage, Spain and Senior Lecturer at IESE Business School. Conor is a sought-after keynote speaker on resilient leadership. He is President of Spain for Vistage, the worlds leading CEO coaching organisation. As an entrepreneur, he has founded 6 companies. He is Senior Lecturer at IESE Business School, teaching Leadership Communications
- [Personal Leadership Library](https://conorneill.com/books/) - “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” Oscar Wilde Books to Help You Grow Here you will discover books to exercise your mind, enhance your learning, and advance your insights. Reading enables leadership and personal growth, and highlighted are some great
- [In Company Communications Program](https://conorneill.com/leadership-comms/) - Example agenda for 1 day with Conor Neill Conor Neill has 22 years of experience as a business school professor, leadership speaker and corporate leadership team trainer. Conor is the President of Vistage in Spain. He has taught over 45,000 participants in his leadership programs. Conor has run high level leadership and leadership communications programs
- [Bio](https://conorneill.com/bio/) - Conor Neill President at Vistage, Spain and Senior Lecturer at IESE Business School About Conor is a sought-after keynote speaker on resilient leadership. He is President of Spain for Vistage, the worlds leading CEO coaching organisation. As an entrepreneur, he has founded 6 companies. He is Senior Lecturer at IESE Business School, teaching Leadership Communications
- [New Here?](https://conorneill.com/new-here/) - Welcome. I’m glad you’re here. The writing on this blog started in January 2009. Initially, a sort of evernote... before evernote. A place for me to gather my thoughts. Beginning the Rhetorical Journey In October 2009, I shared this post. It changed everything. My father forwarded it to hundreds of his friends, senior business leaders.
- [Leadership Retreat with Conor and Florian](https://conorneill.com/leadership-retreat/) - We're glad you are here We’ve been running leaderships trainings and retreats for the last 20 years and together have taught over 60,000 leaders. We are excited to offer an opportunity to 8 chosen leaders to work directly with us in an intimate setting over 3.5 days. We are excited to get to know if
- [Guest Posts](https://conorneill.com/guest-posts/) - "I want to Guest Post on your Blog" Welcome. I'm glad you are here. I love all those that do the difficult work of putting their thoughts down in written form. I believe it is critical to developing your thinking and good decision making skills. You are on a good path. Keep putting your pen
- [Legal Notice](https://conorneill.com/legal-notice/) - OWNERSHIP OF WEBSITES The https://www.conorneill.com website, hereinafter website, is owned by Covantis SL, headquartered in Barcelona, Amigo 28, 08021. Tax Identification Number B63685598. USERS By accessing and/or using the website a
- [Work with Me](https://conorneill.com/work-with-me/) - I love nothing better than sharing what I have learned with those who are eager to grow. If this sounds like you, we need to connect. Here are 5 ways you can access my knowledge and experience. I have arranged these in order, from those that require the least investment to those that require the most.
- [On Selling Coaching Services](https://conorneill.com/on-selling-coaching-services/) - ON SELLING COACHING SERVICES This is a collection of my writing around the general question - how do I build a thriving and financially rewarding coaching practice? Is your coaching practice completely full? Are you getting more referrals than you can handle? Do you know who your next 10 clients will be? If yes,
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- [Speaking as a Leader | Congratulations on making your First Video](https://conorneill.com/speaking-as-a-leader-congratulations/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course Congratulations on Starting the Webcam You have made your first video. It is a powerful tool to grow as a communicator. It can be brutal, but it will help you in a massive way. It took me years to be happy with how I look, sound and speak
- [Conor Neill's TEDx Talk "Who Will You Bet On?"](https://conorneill.com/videos/tedx-talk-who-will-you-bet-on/) - Back to Full List of Videos If you had €1000 and you could invest that money in someone's future, who would you bet on? Is it yourself? View the video directly on YouTube: Conor Neill TEDx Talk Conor Neill from IESE Business School illustrates how to self apply the three criteria Warren Buffett uses to
- [4 Ways to Stop Self-Sabotaging your Success](https://conorneill.com/videos/4-ways-to-stop-self-sabotaging-your-success/) - Back to Full List of Videos Take control of your life and end self-sabotaging behaviour. The world will put countless obstacles in your path but none will be as big as your own self-sabotage. The 4 Destructive Self-Sabotage Mindsets: Distraction Emotional Impulsiveness Arrogance and sense of Entitlement Fixed Mindset
- [Thank you](https://conorneill.com/thank-you/) - THANK YOU! I'm pleased to have you join me on my email list. I hope you enjoy my regular updates about leadership. What others are Reading 3 Most Popular Blog Posts SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS! Follow @conorneill LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! I love comments, questions and shares ;-)
- [Privacy Policy](https://conorneill.com/privacy-policy/) - Who we are This website is owned by Covantis SL. Our website address is: https://conorneill.com. What personal data we collect and why we collect it Comments When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help
- [Subscribe](https://conorneill.com/subscribe/) - Get Conor's weekly videos delivered direct to your inbox.
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- [Speaking as a Leader | Thanks for your Feedback](https://conorneill.com/speaking-as-a-leader-thanks-for-your-feedback/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course Thank you for your Feedback. It will help. I am glad that you are taking the time to communicate your experience of this course. Whilst I wish for all participants to love me, my courses and everything about me... I realise this is a foolish dream. I
- [Speaking as a Leader | Thanks for your Positive Feedback](https://conorneill.com/speaking-as-a-leader-thanks-for-your-positive-feedback/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course Congratulations on Finishing the Course I am glad that this has been a positive experience for you. If you have any ideas that could help improve the experience for others, I'd love if you used the comments below the post to share with me. Who else would benefit
- [Speaking As A Leader | Email #4 Communicating Values](https://conorneill.com/speaking-leader-email-course-4/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course This is email #4. Communicating Values Communicating Values: One of my Inspirations... Who inspires you? A teacher, a pop-star, a sports personality, a family member, a political leader, a company leader? Pick one person that is an inspiration to you. Write their name down. I wrote down
- [Open Programs](https://conorneill.com/open-programs/) - Join one of My 3 day Open Programs. In Madrid and Barcelona, Spain I deliver 3 open programs each year, 2 in spanish: Comunicar con Eficacia y Persuasión; and in english Develop Your Communication Skills: It’s how you tell them. In Ireland, I delver 2 programs each year with the UCD Smurfit Business School: Influence and Persuasive Communications.
- [How to Start a Speech](https://conorneill.com/videos/how-to-start-a-speech/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w82a1FT5o88 Watch this video and more in the "Develop Your Speaking Skills" Playlist: http://bit.ly/speakcourse I have been teaching Persuasive Communications on MBA courses at IESE Business School for 10 years. This is part of a collection of short lessons compiled from my courses and shared for use both as a support to my classes, and
- [How to Improve your Clarity of Thinking](https://conorneill.com/videos/how-to-improve-your-clarity-of-thinking/) - Back to Full List of Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOD1sRAj8wE Clarity of thought leads to many benefits. How do you improve the clarity of your thought? Writing is the path to better, clearer thinking. Writing is a powerful form of persuasion. If you can master writing, you can make a bigger difference in this world. Ideas on paper
- [What Questions do you Have (For Videos)](https://conorneill.com/youtube-questions/)
- [Welcome to the Speaking as a Leader Course](https://conorneill.com/welcome-to-the-course/) - Ok, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Here’s to Speaking and seeing people pay attention ;-) Years from now you will thank yourself for these hours of practice in your communication skills. -Conor PS if you have reached this page, and you didn't yet sign up for the free 10 week Speaking as a Leader Course,
- [Speaking As A Leader | About The Course](https://conorneill.com/about-the-course/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course About the Course A report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that employers want job candidates with strong communication skills. Similarly, educational success also requires the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly. In this class, we will study the principles of public speaking and
- [Speaking as a Leader | Thanks for your Vote!](https://conorneill.com/speaking-as-a-leader-thanks-for-you-vote/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course Congratulations on Making a Decision - Best Speaker What did you see in today's speaker that you can use in your own approach to speaking? What did they do that made their speech so compelling? A friend once told me: if a good speech is interrupted by a
- [Speaking As A Leader | Email #2 The Ice Breaker Speech](https://conorneill.com/speaking-leader-email-course-2/) - Speak as a Leader: 10 weeks email-driven course This is email #2. The "Ice-Breaker" - Connecting with People The "How I got here" Ice-breaker: An ice-breaker is a simple introduction of who you are. It will be used at networking dinners, or at a point in a larger speech where you share your own story
- [Seminars](https://conorneill.com/seminars/) - Speak as a Leader Online Course Speak as a Leader is an email driven course. You will learn to deliver speeches that are interesting and lively so that you can capture and maintain your audience's attention. Learn more about the free Speak as a Leader course. About the Speaking as A Leader Program Speaking as

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