When you fail at something, how long should you keep going? I often hear famous people saying that you should “never” give up on your dreams. But is that really realistic for most of us?

Say you want to be an artist or a TV presenter. Sure, you can keep applying for jobs. But if you’re not earning much money at all – how long can you keep going?

Some … Read more

Do you ever worry that the people around you are judging you silently? Or do you sometimes receive comments or criticism from people that make you feel you’re being attacked?

If you ever feel judged or attacked, you’re definitely not alone. Here are five tips on coping in such situations:

1. Defuse the thought
Identify the specific thought that’s worrying you. Are you telling yourself something like “I’m going to … Read more

Would you like to make a better impression on people? That could be say when you need to give a presentation – perhaps you’re pitching your product or services to customers. Maybe it’s pitching yourself in a job interview. Or it could be in a social setting: perhaps you want to make a stronger impact on friends or a date even.

Whatever the situation, here’s a quick technique that you … Read more

A large chunk of my work involves coaching leaders one-on-one or running workshops for small groups of leaders. Given the challenges they face, I have seen firsthand some of the more effective ways that some of the most successful leaders have transformed themselves and the performance of their teams. Here are 6 observations on what seems to work.

1. Prioritise relationships
Of course it’s the job of all managers to … Read more

Feeling engaged by your work is a necessary prerequisite for high performance, productivity, success and promotion. Of course, that probably doesn’t sound that surprising.

But if that’s the case, why do so few people enjoy their work? And, more importantly, what can you do about it? (Click the image below to bring up a larger version that you can download and save.)

… Read more

The media has shown a great deal of interest in the content of my book How To Stand Out: Proven Tactics For Getting Noticed. I’ve been featured in The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Record as well as on TV and radio shows too.

But this was one of the more insightful interviews that I did.  Some of the highlights to take away from the video:… Read more

When I’m coaching clients who wish they could speak up more, they sometimes say things like:

• “I don’t want to sound stupid.”
• “I don’t want to be the negative person in the room.”
• “But I don’t want to go against what the rest of the team wants.”

The thing is: there are often times when you need to speak up.  Yes, there may be a voice at the back of … Read more

I was invited onto the Talk Radio Europe breakfast show to speak about the inspiration for and content of my book How To Stand Out: Proven Tactics For Getting Noticed.

Our conversation covered lots of topics spanning lack of confidence, arrogance, childhood experiences, dating and even bringing up confident children. Some of the points that I think worth summarising:

• Remember that you can change at any age. Your