Articles

A couple months ago, I learned a painful lesson which made me realise the importance of focusing on 'the bigger picture' of whatever I’m doing. I was preparing to facilitate a leadership workshop for over 200 managers at one of New Zealand’s largest companies. As this was a pilot program being launched, the company’s course development team kept changing the workbook and...

If you'd like me to send you a copy of my article published in the NZ Herald Business Section,on the 12th June, 2010, please email me and I'll gladly send it to you. (It was not published online - just in the Weekend Herald, so I scanned it and can forward a soft copy to you.)

Imagine a company culture where team members feels aligned and connected with a clear sense of purpose, and there is consequently a great sense of goodwill, cooperation, productivity, and innovation as a result. It's well known that emotions as a leader are contagious, and that you set the tone...

How comfortable are you in your own skin? How much of your authentic self do you share with the world? What stops you from expressing yourself fully? I’d like to invite you to look at what stops you from confidently expressing yourself and what holding your full self back is costing...

How confident do you feel when you stand up to speak? How connected do you feel to yourself and to your audience? If you're like most people, you are a bit glossophobic (afraid of public speaking). Let's look more specifically of exactly what you are afraid of when you consider getting...

How confident are you being direct and open with your prospective and current customers or with your sales team? Do you avoid telling people things that you’re afraid they might not like to hear? Do you alter your message to make it more pleasant? Assertiveness is a critical skill for...

Have you ever had your mouth washed out with soap? I have. I remember when I was eight years old saying 'I hate you' to my mom and having her grabbing me by the arm and marching me over to the sink and holding down my head while she squirted dish soap into my mouth. My mother used to say,...

Are you on track with living your passionate purpose? Are you a leader in that you inspire those around you? Are you moving in a clear direction? Would you like to take more intentional action in all you do? Here is a short, easy process to help you discover and/or clarify your purpose. It...

Do you speak like a leader? Whether you're speaking to a large group, a few people, or even to one person, do you consider yourself to be inspirational and motivational? Why or why not? I attended a recent talk by Australian 'Thought Leader' Matt Church at The National Speakers Association of...

Have you ever held in your feelings during a meeting, not wanting to offend by speaking your mind? Then, afterwards, you think of all the things you SHOULD have said? Have you ever felt angry when someone wasn't giving you any space to express your point of view? Have you ever felt frustrated...

Would you like to feel more connected in your relationships? How happy are you in general with your friendships and other relationships? If your answer is not 'VERY HAPPY', I suspect that you...

Why is it that when I google 'books on happiness' I get, 34,700,000 results! If I just google the word 'happiness', I get 78,000,000 results. It's obviously a hot topic. Everyone keeps...

Have you ever had your mouth washed out with soap? That's what my mother did once when I talked back to her. "If you can't say anything nice," she said, "don't say anything at...

It's not in every voice class I teach where a 'Bob' transforms into a 'Sarah', but that is exactly the radical transformation that happened. It's expected in all my classes that students will...

Last weekend, I attended a workshop with Geoff Dolan on how to be 'humorous'as a speaker. Geoff is a member of Con Artists group and regulary work as an entertainer, comedian, and emcee. My...

"Baby! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" This was the grateful exclamation of one thigh-high six-year old girl named Holly yesterday when I handed her her 'brain food'. The comment...

'Where would you have me go?' 'What would you have me do?' 'What would you have me say? and to whom?' These are the questions Marianne Williamson, internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher,...

Last night, I attended a fascinating talk called 'The Sonata of the Master Musician' by William Meader. Meader, a former California-based psychology professor turned esoteric teacher from Oregon is...

"So how many of you think that we would all be better off without Anger?" This is the question I asked a group of about 30 12 year-olds at Kedgley Intermediate School in Papatoetoe...

"So what do I want?" This is a question Chris Prime of The Law of Attraction Centre recommends you ask yourself all day everyday to keep attracting what you want into your life. I...