Whitepapers

It’s often experience that helps a professional get their foot in the door at a new job. But it takes more than skill alone to be truly impactful at most organizations. Companies across numerous industries are looking for candidates who are tactful, communicative, reliable and generally pleasant to work with — they’re looking for professionalism. The way you appear and behave…

Whether you call it a grin, smirk, beam or smile, there’s no denying the feel-good power of this happy facial expression. We are born with the ability to smile, yet as we age, we smile less often. Research shows that children smile an average of 400 times per day, compared to the average happy adult who smiles 40-50 times per day and the typical adult who smiles only 20 times per day. Why…

Modern "professionalism" should be defined by strategy, execution, and honesty.   In the workplace of the past, professionalism was closely associated with prestige, tenure and inside-baseball. But nowadays, we tie professionalism directly to the competence or skill expected of a professional. At least, we do in Silicon Valley. I learned early on at PeopleSoft and even more so…

Are you looking for ways to boost your productivity? There’s a very good reason for the countless studies conducted by professors, psychologists, and even gurus and monks regarding the impact a positive mindset has on our lives. It’s because positive thinking really does work! But there’s a paradox that makes a positive mindset less accessible than we would like to think.…

“Why can’t we make more, and why can’t we make it sooner?” asked Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla of his manufacturing leader, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article.1 The article goes on to describe and praise Bourla’s demanding leadership style, a decided departure from the popular press on more gentle approaches to leadership.2 Pfizer’s…