One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Mad Men, which follows a New York City marketing agency in the 1960s. It has great characters, plot twists, and the costumes are a lot of fun. An aspect that’s highlighted throughout the show is women in the workplace in the 60s.

One of the most fascinating sections is about the purpose of certain parts of the brain.

The amygdala is the most primitive part of the brain — it governs aggression, joy, sadness, and fear. The limbic, or mid-brain, is responsible for storing emotions, memories and helps with bodily functions. The neocortex activates our higher-level thinking – this is the uniquely human part of the brain and allows us to have complex thought, language, art, science, etc…

However, the danger comes from invoking and applying a dose of primitive emotion to a non-life-threatening event. If you’re responding with mortal rage when you’re not cc-ed on an email, you’re using the wrong tool for that situation.

The business landscape is ever-changing. In the eternal quest for success, the role of a Chief of Staff (COS) provides adaptability that executive leadership teams need. Yet, this role is often misunderstood—and even worse, underutilized. 

Understanding the unique skills and responsibilities possessed by Chiefs of Staff is paramount. Evaluating whether and how this role can supercharge your executive leadership team can send your business over the next level.

Upon George’s father’s death, his brother abdicates, and George becomes King. George goes to see his friend Logue and they have a heart-to-heart conversation about the complicated dynamics of George’s upbringing.

They also discuss looming comparisons and expectations with his father and brother. Eventually, Logue tells George, “You don’t need to be afraid of the things you were afraid of when you were five.”

Jack Nicklaus is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers ever to play the game. He holds the record for having 18 PGA Championships - Tiger Woods has 15.

These accomplishments didn’t just happen out of nowhere. Even at the height of his successful career…

Historically, the role of the manager has been to correct people’s mistakes. Even today, some supervisors relish catching employees in the act of committing an error…

Equally, if not more importantly, a good leader will actively look for the positive things their people are doing. If a team member…

Trevor Moawad was a sports psychologist who worked with top athletes. His focus was getting his players’ mindset and mental approach right for high-performance.

In his book, “It Takes What It Takes”, he details the work he did with Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson. In one exercise, Trevor helped Michael come up with simple statements that would get him in the right headspace before a competition.

One simple yet highly effective approach to improving your decision-making is called the Three Circles:

Circle 1 + Circle 2 = Circle 3

The word authentic has been cropping up in a lot of my conversations lately. “Be your authentic self” and “make sure your leadership is authentic.”

I agree with the spirit of these statements…

However, there are times where being “inauthentic” is good.