Archive for the ‘Anecdotes’ Category

154 – Less is more

Don’t put everything into your stories. You’ll overwhelm or distract your listener. Listen to hear how cutting a scene from the original King Kong kept audiences engaged.

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153 – Focus on your goal

Sometimes you must ignore what’s happening around you and focus on your goal. Listen to hear how this strategy helped Julia Louis-Dreyfus survive breast cancer.

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152 – Present a united front

Present a united front to avoid bad outcomes. Listen to hear how Ryan Reynolds and his brothers avoided their father’s fury.

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151 – Balance performance and engagement

Successful leadership requires a balance of performance and engagement. Listen to hear how a Country Head improved his numbers without his number one salesperson.

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150 – In praise of small stories

A slight change in mindset can improve your entire day. Listen to hear some examples of small stories that have a big impact.

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Replay 112 – FedEx helicopter story absolutely positively flies

If you give your employees guiding principles rather than rules, they will do amazing things. We replay Doug Keeley’s favourite business story of all time.

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149 – Natural selection of the fittest story

If you want to change someone’s mind, you need to find a range of stories, not just one. Listen to hear how Charles Darwin formulated and gained support for his theory of evolution.

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147 – The chemistry of hot and cold states

Context and emotional state determine success, so when stakes are high, consider simulating the scenario as best you can. Listen to hear how a premier league soccer coach did just that.

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146 – The Assistant Director’s cut

Trust those around you; as a leader, you don’t always need to make the final decision. Listen to hear how an actor handles starring in and directing a movie.

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145 – Dark mansions made of cubes and squares

When you start something, stick with it until you finish it. Listen to hear how an English mathematician solved the world’s longest-standing maths problem. Shawn …

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