Let’s begin with the bald truth: we draw our leaders from a pool of imperfect beings. Millions of years of evolution have yet to yield The Perfect Leader. We all come from imperfect families, have experiences that blind us or… Read More »Communication Skills: Why our leaders disappoint us
In a recent article in Harvard Magazine, Amy Cuddy, who teaches at Harvard Business School is quoted as saying that the success of venture-capital pitches to investors apparently turns, in fact, on nonverbal factors like “how comfortable and charismatic you… Read More »How to Raise Money from Venture Capitalists and Other Investors
Years ago I splurged on a course at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where, among other things, I learned that leadership is a constant tug between assertiveness and empathy. Assertiveness without empathy, I learned, leads to conflict with followers and… Read More »Empathy in Action
I just came back to work after dinner, where, over roast chicken and salad, my wife began to explain to me why some people try too hard. I felt obliged to listen, but I was also tired, and had consumed enough wine… Read More »Communication Skills: Listening for the New
Here’s the scenario. A bio-tech company will fly to Paris to convince influential French physicians to use their compound-in-development in clinical trials. The company has invited the French doctors to a nice meeting room in a nice hotel and plans… Read More »Scientific Presentations: Hitting the Audience in the Heart
On June 20th in the Wall Street Journal, in response to the media coverage of Tim Russert’s untimely death, Peggy Noonan wrote in her Declarations column, “When somebody dies we tell his story and try to define and isolate what… Read More »Public Speaking and the Importance of Character: A Life’s Lesson