Voice Matters

Voice Matters

I swear I have learnt more about persuasion and influence raising teen boys than anything else I have read or done!When #2 son was in his early teens, he developed a sarcastic tone to his voice. It’s hard to explain in written form, but imagine Bart Simson...
The 4 Pitches You Need

The 4 Pitches You Need

Several years ago, I worked with a client who had to give a three-minute pitch in order to qualify for millions of dollars in research funding. He spent the whole of the three minutes explaining how brilliant he was and the work he had done previously. And I thought...
Want to be a better speaker

Want to be a better speaker

Want to be a better speaker?  Then do more speaking!   Tried something new lately?  Chances are you’re gonna be crap at it!Catching up with friends on the weekend I was telling them how excited I was to be starting my pottery wheel course on Monday. We started...
Leadership Lessons From the Top

Leadership Lessons From the Top

Who do think these jackets belong to? An Elton John impersonator? A cabaret performer? A magician?  You may be surprised to learn that they belong to a senior executive in a conservative government organisation.  That man is David Reynolds the CEO of the Department of...
The Day I Persuaded a Mob of Teenagers

The Day I Persuaded a Mob of Teenagers

Persuading the Board? Pffft – easy peasy! Try persuading teenagers! Here’s how I did it. When my children were little one of the favourite things for them to do was to go to a bike park. There were three tracks at the park, one was for little kids and...
Say No To Positive Thinking

Say No To Positive Thinking

You know, I’m not really a fan of positive thinking. I know that sounds counter-productive, right? To me, positive thinking is like driving down a hill in the car with no breaks and saying to yourself “It’s okay, I’m just going to think positively!” And it seems I’m...