Be your own biggest fan And biggest critic. We’re all selling ourselves. More specifically, we’re selling our ability to make an impact on the business of our clients. If you don’t believe passionately in your ability to do that, and speak about it with energy, you’ll never allow anyone else to see that potential either. This is about justified confidence in the result you deliver, not artificial arrogance. Live by the idea that what was exceptional yesterday is adequate today, and will be unacceptable tomorrow.  Blind faith is a requirement. We all want immediate results. All too often, that’s not…

We all want to have great results, but how many of us are really willing to make the sacrifices that drive those results? Sure, most of us have enough occasional wins to keep us going, but what would it feel like to have those kinds of results on a consistent basis? If you can get a result once, you can get it on a consistent basis. The key is finding the discipline to put in a consistent effort. The greatest example of discipline and consistent effort I have ever heard or witnessed was shared with me by an agency principle…

We all have something we would like to change about our work selves. Maybe it's a new skill to learn, additional knowledge to acquire, a level of discipline to which we aspire, or more consistent results we covet. And, sometimes it isn't even about what we want, it's about what we don't want. We no longer want to fear our clients; we are tired of accepting "the way we've always done it"; we become frustrated by inefficiencies; we are no longer willing to accept mediocrity. Unfortunately, sitting around thinking about what we want, or don't want, gets us nothing but…

A new year brings with it a chance to wipe the slate clean, a chance for a do-over. It is a time of resolutions, new goals, and optimism for what we want to achieve. Sure, part of the looking forward also brings with it a certain amount of reflection, but it's usually a reflection on what it is about our past we want to change. Rather than just reflect on what we want to change, it is just as important (maybe more so) to focus on the positives that took place and to reflect on the lessons we learned. It…

I have been struggling with a cold for the past couple of weeks. Not the kind of illness that keeps you in bed, but just a sloppy old head cold. You know the kind that keeps you from thinking straight, has you tired all the time, and just takes your "edge" away from you. It's funny (in a sick joke kind of way – no pun intended), but after a couple of weeks of feeling like that, it almost starts to feel like a new normal. You actually forget what it feels like to feel good. In fact, last week,…

Continuing in a series of posts that touch on 10 challenges for you to consider as you embrace a 2012 that is more productive for yourself, as well as for those around you. As I do so, I am borrowing from a book I read last year, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Stories for New Leaders by Michael Watkins. Read previous challenge articles:First Challenge – Promote yourself Second Challenge – Accelerate Your Learning Third Challenge – Match Strategy to Situation Fourth Challenge – Secure Early Wins Fifth Challenge – Negotiate Success Sixth Challenge – Achieve Alignment Seventh Challenge -…

Continuing in a series of posts that touch on 10 challenges for you to consider as you embrace a 2012 that is more productive for yourself, as well as for those around you. As I do so, I am borrowing from a book I read last year, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Stories for New Leaders by Michael Watkins. Read previous challenge articles:First Challenge – Promote yourself Second Challenge – Accelerate Your Learning Third Challenge – Match Strategy to Situation Fourth Challenge – Secure Early Wins Fifth Challenge – Negotiate Success Sixth Challenge – Achieve Alignment Seventh Challenge -…

Continuing in a series of posts that touch on 10 challenges for you to consider as you embrace a 2012 that is more productive for yourself, as well as for those around you. As I do so, I am borrowing from a book I read last year, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Stories for New Leaders by Michael Watkins. Read previous challenge articles:First Challenge – Promote yourself Second Challenge – Accelerate Your Learning Third Challenge – Match Strategy to Situation Fourth Challenge – Secure Early Wins Fifth Challenge – Negotiate Success Sixth Challenge – Achieve Alignment Seventh Challenge -…

The time when you most feel you don't want to do something is usually the perfect time to get started. Taking a deep breath and making the decision to follow Nike's long-held advice to just do it. It's not always easy and it's usually not the natural decision to make, but I think when we challenge ourselves at that point of difficulty is exactly the point where we'll see the greatest return. I've seen several things recently that have inspired me to think about this, so I've taken it as a sign that it's time to write about it and…

Continuing in a series of posts that touch on 10 challenges for you to consider as you embrace a 2012 that is more productive for yourself, as well as for those around you. As I do so, I am borrowing from a book I read last year, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Stories for New Leaders by Michael Watkins. Read previous challenge articles:First Challenge – Promote yourself Second Challenge – Accelerate Your Learning Third Challenge – Match Strategy to Situation Fourth Challenge – Secure Early Wins Fifth Challenge – Negotiate Success Sixth Challenge – Achieve Alignment   Seventh Challenge…