When I speak publicly, I often ask how many people believe in the power of written goals. Every hand shoots up. Yet when I ask how many of them have written goals for this year, very few hands go up. This always surprises me, given the fact most people know intuitively (and research has proved) […]

According to psychologists, most people have a greater fear of public speaking than of death. As someone who trains speakers professionally, I can attest this is true. It certainly was for me. Even after I had been speaking publicly for years, I still struggled with fear. Even when I was well-prepared. This happened nearly every […]

I’ve had my share of pain and setbacks. I’ve experienced a catastrophic business failure. I’ve been fired by clients. I’ve struggled in my marriage. I’ve had children with chronic and debilitating diseases. And I’ve had my own health crises. Fortunately, right now things are going well (knock on wood). But I do struggle with one […]

Do you have a long-term delegation strategy? This is the secret to moving more into “the zone” and getting out of those activities you don’t enjoy or don’t do well. Recently, I recorded two podcasts on the subject of delegation. The first dealt with the principles of delegation. The second suggested how you might delegate […]

As leaders, we know we should be reading more. But we struggle to find the time. In this guest post, Robert Bruce suggests five ways to make more time.

Becoming a better public speaker is important for almost every career. Whether you are in middle management, a corporate executive, a pastor, or an author, DCW can make you a better, more polished communicator.

Most people play it safe by holding back. A precious few take the plunge and play full out. As a result, they experience three significant benefits.

My friend Ken Davis is a world-class professional speaker and speech coach. Recently, he gave me some very specific suggestions I could use to improve a speech he had heard me give. Here are my notes.

Do you have a bad habit you’d like to overcome? If so, you might take a lesson from the pin oak tree, focusing on what you want rather than what you don’t want.

I once heard a person say in a disdainful tone, “I don’t read ‘self-help’ books.” With this seemingly innocuous verdict, he slammed the door on a multitude of voices eager to push him to God’s best for his life. He severely limited his exposure to wise counselors and leaders available to him. And he drew a curtain across a world of extraordinary and supernatural influence.

When I read a non-fiction book, I typically practice these ten disciplines. They help me get more out of the books I read and insure that I retain the information longer.

My pastor recently took a three-month sabbatical. I imagined him sleeping in until ten every morning, followed by extensive periods of crossword puzzles and personal grooming. But he assured me that his time off was really more professional in nature: he studied up on the Emergent Church and did a biblical tour of Turkey. Am I jealous? No, of course not. Resentful is probably a better word.