In the final installment of my personal courtroom drama. I have got the plaintiff’s team down, but I need to strike one more blow to ensure the jury sees things correctly. I need an expert they can trust to validate everything they have heard from the defense. Occasionally you get the opportunity to do it yourself, but more often than not you have to find other experts to do the heavy lifting. Either way, however, you want to make sure that you can back up what you have said with a real heavy hitter.

In the last couple of Tales from the SAS C-Suite, you learned that I was not having fun defending my honor and wallet in civil court.  The leadership team worked its collective butt off and saved 2000 jobs, but two years later the leader of the pack is being accused of age discrimination. You know that no one is perfect.  Consequently, the sooner we admit we have “non-fatal flaws” the more credible other statements become. Let see how to take our credibility up another notch with precision.  Who do you believe is going to show up on time?  The date who says they will be over at 6-ish or the one who says I will be there at 6 sharp? Listen to this episode as explain how a seemingly insignificant domino is a critical part of saving the company.

Last week, I started telling you about my crazy civil court experience.  Plaintiff claimed that despite keeping the older employee, I was liable for age discrimination when I terminated him.   I saved nearly 2000 jobs and two years later found myself defending my honor and my wallet. Now let’s talk about how to wield the damaging omission.  None of us are perfect; consequently, we tend not to trust anyone who appears to be.  The magic of this technique is to self-report your imperfections. It is a little like the interviewer’s “tell me about your weakness” question.   You have to serve up something, so you offer a veiled strength.  (e.g. I am workaholic.)  Interviewers often see through that, so you are better off to provide a real weakness that has no bearing on the role you seek.  (i.e. I am a great package designer, but I have no idea how many we should keep in inventory.) Listen to this episode as I wield this technique to help the jury understand a broader business context that ultimately helps them understand the company was under attack, not the plaintiff. Homework: As you think about pitching product, ideas, or services, think about those you don’t serve and proactively disclose those weaknesses.

What if you have done everything the right way, delivered better than expected results, and still find yourself in court?  You are highly motivated to find a safe way home, but do you know how to supercharge your chances of getting the verdict you deserve? Here is a bizarre story of what happened to me and the tools I used to maximize my chances of winning the hearts and minds of strangers.  I mean jurors. In the first of four episodes, I lay out my case and cover the basic counsel that all witnesses get and explain why that counsel is necessary but not sufficient.  Stay tuned to the very end and pass along the digital advice that will help you and friends avoid being red-faced in court. Homework: Review your digital life.  Eliminate as much nonessential chatter as possible and all inappropriate communications i.e. profanity, pornography ect.  Who knows what the Russians or big brother will release next?   Ready for step two?

Do you enjoy watching world class athletes compete at the highest levels? The talent they display is incredible, but only the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the story is all about the hard work out of public view that separates the talented from champions. The question to you is…  Are you working that hard as you chase the gold that feeds your family?

Whatever your political bias or what you think of the Republican or Democratic conventions, both efforts afford us the opportunity to evaluate a wide array of speaking styles and techniques while making our own assessment of what is and is not effective. This week’s post is a reminder to supercharge your presentations with four quick onstage performance enhancers. Homework: * Watch as many presentations from both conventions as you can. Watch live or on or double speed on YouTube. * Make your own judgements about which presentations are most compelling. * Look for evidence of the hacks outlined in this podcast and use the examples and evidence to apply to your pitches.

Watching the news is increasingly difficult these days.  Sometimes, I wonder how I avoided the fatal situations that tragically end so many lives.  I am sure there are more factors than I can count, but as I contemplate this question, an “Old School” Solomon Family lesson comes to mind. Listen to this story to catch a glimpse of a youngster’s lesson learned. Homework: * Identify the number one bad habit holding you back? (Not sure, ask your spouse or someone else you trust.) * Find an unpleasant penance that you must perform every time you behave badly.  (Conversely, treat yourself when you do well.) * Think about how you will overcome your bad habit as you work through your penance. * Focus on getting a little better every day.  

The first half of 2016 is history. I trust that you are off to a great start, but whether you are ahead or behind you’ll have to keep hustling to have a great year. One of the frequently asked questions I’ve received this year is “how have you been able to keep yourself or company moving forward in trying circumstances?” You probably don’t know this, but I come from a long line of storytellers.  My paternal grandmother was an unusually gifted griot.  I am sure listening to her shaped my public speaking. Today’s post answers the FAQ above and salutes the griots’ tradition. Homework: What unexpected holes have you fallen into this year? If the usual escape methods fail,  think through unconventional approaches to getting back on track? 3-Month Subscription winners: David B, Heather S & Ronald S.   Congrats Guys! Don’t forget to register for the Lifetime Focus @ Will subscription giveaway here. Focus@Will Lifetime Subscription Giveaway    

Over the years, the most common executive coaching conversation I’ve had with all levels of leaders has been “how do I get promoted?”  Most of the time, these leader s have demonstrated exceptional skills and very high levels of performance and likely have the tools needed to be successful at the next level and beyond. Listen below to get of sense of the direction given and the tension released during these discussions. (Note: If you ask the next generation to review your audio script, they get a chance to avoid our mistakes and maybe return your audio with a little something extra on it.) Homework: * Think back to when you had the opportunity to plead your promotion case, did you sell the right benefits? * List how you will help the company and your bosses after your promotion. * Where will you develop and demonstrate the next level skills that support your ability to deliver the benefits above? This is the last Weekend to register for the first Focus@Will at will give away.  Round one entries close Midnight July 4th and winners announced in next week post.

I accomplished a lot in multiple environments over the course of my career.  That led one participant in a recent coaching session to ask, “What has been the biggest challenge I faced throughout my career? In a word it is Focus.  The hard part about leading is not the difference between good and bad choices.  Most of us figure that out correctly. Like many of us, I struggled with things that are “right to do” and  did not focused enough resources on “breakthroughs.” Please listen in on this live Coaching Q&A session as I share how I learned this early career lesson. Homework: * Identify which three peanuts you are going to push this week, month, and year. * It is hard to say NO to good (but not great) peanuts, so say “yes, but not now!” * Consciously decide what you are going to work on today and every day. The 52/17 Pomodoro technique is a good way for you to decide what you are going to work on in a given block of time.   What if you could effortlessly garner double-digit improvements to the depth of your personal focus and sustain that focus 400% longer?  Would you do it? I am giving away subscriptions to Focus@Will because the soundtracks are an ideal productivity soundstage and focus enhancer.  (NOTE: I have no business affiliation with the company, I just love the product and think you will too.) Extra Credit * Sign up for a chance to receive a free subscription from me. * Sign up for a free trial. * Let me know which soundstage you like. (I am high-intensity water) * Share this post and resources with friends and colleagues.