Movies are full of them. So are great speeches. Yet in business communication, this simple but powerful technique is used surprisingly rarely. What are they? Analogies. As Chip and Dan Heath point out in the brilliant Made to Stick, analogies work. They make concepts simple and understandable. What’s more, they… Read More »The secret technique for powerful communication
At the start of It’s a Wonderful Life, the angels observe George Bailey as he considers jumping off the Bedford Falls bridge. ‘Is he sick?’ asks Clarence, his trainee guardian angel. ‘Worse,’ replies Joseph, his boss. ‘He’s discouraged.’ We all need to feel appreciated, whether at home or at work.… Read More »Seven extraordinary examples of recognition
Ivan Reitman’s 1993 comedy Dave may not be most people’s first choice of a great leadership movie. But for me it demonstrates perfectly a key facet of leadership: that it is a choice rather than a position. In the movie, the White House recruits uncanny presidential lookalike Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline)… Read More »How to win over your team: everyman leadership in Dave