Insight #5: Slow Down. You Speak Too Fast

I have been aiming too low to hit my far-out goals. And then, in frustration, I have chosen new targets, ones too close to matter, too below the mark to make a real impact.

Speaking too fast is a common mistake. Here's why.

Sometimes we are tempted to stick to the letter and to ignore the spirit of the contract between workers and management.

Here's the thing about positions. Some people more than fill the position they are in and are soon promoted to something bigger.

We count on hope for a better future and we ignore bliss in the present. Then we act surprised when we land in the mud of the moment.

Nothing happens until you make a move. Your choice of first move is often limited. Yet, it sets in motion a series of actions that in looking back seem so obvious.

If you want your team to lose mind control, then ask them to begin by conjuring up good ideas. No brain can weave and swerve and speed up and brake unless properly warmed up.

Motivational gurus have conned us into believing that shouting a goal (the dream) in public or on social media will make us achieve it. Or risk being embarrassed. I think the concept is called "public commitment."

I wish that leaders will learn the really, really critical skill of knowing when to decide and when to delay deciding.

This is not a trivial question. This explains how we often attempt to make change happen.