Being Politically Savvy and Ambitious

While listening to a lengthy Jack Welch interview, I came across three points that made me rewind the clip. Though I believe at this time he was hawking his book, he did offer some good information.

Now back to the 3 points. Welch was asked for his remarks on how to balance being politically savvy in your career and company with your personal ambitions. He says:

1. Have the ability to over deliver. Welch says if you want to be a star in your career, you have to constantly go above expectations. He goes on to say you should be positive that you are over delivering.


2. Have a positive attitude. This doesn't mean being Mr./Ms. Sushine. Having a positive attitude is more about having a can-do attitude.


3. Don't wear your ambition in a neon light. It's important to work in the framework of the team. He says that if you make your team and boss look good, rewards will come your way.

See former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch, comments in the clip.

Burn, Baby Burn

A couple days of ago, I came across this short inspirational message on success. It struck me because the message wasn't anything new or complicated- the words were as I remembered from my high school business club years. Our business club sponsor would tell us we needed to do this to be successful.

Check out this clip for a classic success message.

Going Blank During a Presentation

According to most surveys, the number one fear of most people is the fear of giving a speech. And the greatest fear of all -- at least when it comes to speaking — is the fear of having your mind go completely blank. When Your Mind Goes Blank

Stop the Guilt Trip

In a recent training class, the participants and I got on the discussion of working with the passive aggressive types -- those who try to manipulate you by laying a guilt trip on you. Have you experienced this type? Or heard about this type?

Here is an excerpt from an article , "Managing Passive Aggressives," that discusses dealing with passive aggressive behavior:

You know that fighting does no good. Anyone who has fought or argued with a Passive Aggressive knows you can't win. Their ability to reframe and live in denial is legendary. "Well I meant NO SUCH THING! How could you THINK that?"

Read Beth Terry's full post for a tip on how to stop the manipulation.

What Distinguishes Great Leaders

Dr. Annie McKee, a leadership expert and co-founder of the Teleos Institute, shares her thoughts on what distinguishes great leaders. She says exceptional leaders capture passion.

My favorite segment of the interview is when Dr. McKee discusses leaders owning their personal power. When you hear the discussion, you'll get the full meaning of owning your power.

Listen to the AMA Podcast series to hear What Distinguishes Great Leaders.

Teleos Leadership Institute is a global consulting firm founded in 2002 by leadership experts Dr. Annie McKee (dubbed by Business Week as "The High Priestess of Executive Coaching") and Dr. Frances Johnston.

What Can Leaders Learn from a Former Pro Football Player?

What is the key to team success? Read what a former pro football players says about this topic. Here's an excerpt from the article on Portfolio.com:

As a football player, Wheeler was never one of the stars on the team, but he found that by focusing on the value he brought to the field, he was able to make himself an integral part of the team. He also knows that in understanding his unique contributions, he understands his weaknesses as well.

"I have applied that lesson to my second career as far as understanding myself and my strengths, understanding my blind spots, understanding the things I do well, understanding the things I don't do well," he says. "And then putting a team around me that's phenomenal in those areas. I always surround myself with people that are a lot smarter than I am."

Read Kickoff to New Heights on Portfolio.com

StevePavlina.com Podcast #012 - Building Confidence

I first heard this podcast months ago. When the topic of building confidence came up in my Sunday school class, I shared a few tips from this podcast-- visualize, speak confidently, move with confidence, and use external stimuli. Listen to Steve's message and let me know what confidence building techniques you utilize.

StevePavlina.com Podcast #012 - Building Confidence

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