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"What if thou shalt not became can do?
What if we developed moral competence rather than bemoaned a lack of moral courage?
What if we looked at ethics as a wellspring of passion and creativity rather than of required restraint?
What if our values became a source of satisfaction, rather than a threat of guilt?
What if we asked what if?"
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"Being great under pressure is hard work. This is part of the reason why we are so impressed by people who seem immune to choking. These people come through in the clutch when others don't. If they're business leaders, they become gurus other executives want to emulate. In politics, the person who runs the gauntlet wins the election, but if he can do so in a particularly cunning way, he becomes an example of strategic excellence. In combat, it is the leaders who come under fire and get their men to safety who are recognized as war heroes. If the people are sporting figures, their triumphs become legendary. We are so fascinated by these feats that we have created a nearly mythical aura around clutch performers."
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"While it will always be easier to recite information (one-way) than it is to make an engaging speech (two-way) presentation that connects with your audience, today's audiences are demanding more engagement and interaction. Their lives are full of instant updates and streaming headline news sent straight to their cell phones. They are expecting you to bring specific knowledge they can't get anywhere else and deliver it in an entertaining way.
Unfortunately, most people rely on a few tried (yet true) techniques to engage an audience and rarely stumble outside their comfort zone. If you truly want to connect with your audience, you can choose to make your presentations more engaging and interactive."
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"Individuals have more power than ever.
Managers can see this as a threat, or as an opportunity.
Think about it. Any of your customers could trash your reputation at any moment. They could write a video about his bad experience that attracts 8 million views, which is what Dave Carroll did after United Airlines baggage handlers broke his guitar. They could tell a million people to never buy your product, which is what Heather Armstrong did when, surrounded by soiled diapers, her frustration at Maytag's inability to fix her new clothes washer boiled over.
For managers, the only defense is to empower your own employees to solve those customers' problems."
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"In this manifesto, I'm going to introduce you to rules-based mechanical investing (also known as naked investing strategies), which has been available for years. In fact, Warren Buffett wrote about this in the forward of the 1973 edition of The Intelligent Investor.
But these techniques have languished for decades, as mutual fund companies—with big dollars to spend on advertising—have purchased the souls and minds of the financial press. And employing systematic naked strategies is simply a more effective way to make investing decisions than relying on the judgment of Wall Street investment experts."
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