Which natural resource is vanishing today faster than any other? It's the resource you need to have more impact; it's the attention span of your audience (i.e. your kids, clients, team members, prospects, subordinates, etc.) Distractions have always been there, but today people's attention is constantly challenged by information overload. As you read this post, if you make it through, your mind will probably visit at least 20 different places before you get to the end. Read more »

You've heard that everything is energy. I don't get the science that well but it is clear that feeling higher energy makes you attractive, or even magnetic, while negative energy brings you, and everyone around you, down. People are always asking me how I stay so positive or how do I keep my energy so high. One big factor is that I sleep well at night. Here are 9 things to keep the winds in your sails, so you keep moving forward. (Remember it's a process, Aristotle said excellence was the sum total of your habits, not a one-time event.)

9 Insanely-Fantastic Groove Keepers 

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Have ypu noticed that it's easier to communicate with some people than with others? If you're feeling like your very clear message is being misconstrued or misinterpreted, this article can help you understand what's going on below the surface. There's an attachment at the end that visualizes the communication process for you so just download it and print it.

The Communication Process according to Mixonian Institute goes something like this:

1. You have an idea you want to share. Read more »

Do you ever feel dread when you see you have 11 new messages on your phone? Do you wonder if people feel that before they hear your message? Do you still see your voice mail message as a chance for you to reach out and shine for those 30 seconds that someone is listening to your voice. Make it count!

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"A record deal doesn't make you an artist; you make yourself an artist."

"I am a walking piece of art every day, with my dreams and my ambitions forward at all times in an effort to inspire my fans to lead their life in that way." Lady Gaga

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In just a few minutes, I'll be doing my first presentation to a video camera for a live audience (it's corporate, not for television.) When people ask about public speaking coaching at Mixonian Institute, that often segues into a conversation about much people hate speaking in public or talking in front of any group. (Much to my surprise, this affects even the chatty folks!) You read a lot about self confidence here because that's the term that comes to mind when people think about public speaking: having or not having enough self confidence to get your point across in an engaging manner. However, it might be more effective to forget about feeling self confident and focus on being fully present in the speaking situation. Read more »

Did you know that human beings mostly hate making decisions? That's why we so easily live in crisis mode, where our decisions are forced upon us, and generally live far below our potential. Often, "keep your options open, don't burn the boats and go along, get along" thought patterns are keeping you in the safe harbor, in case, God forbid, you make a mistake. Even though it's far easier to course correct  if you're in motion. Believe me, takes one to know one and for way too long I allowed other people to make decisions for me (i.e. I was a ditherer,) and then resented the way things turned out. I may be a slow learner, but I have learned to make decisions faster.

What's annoying is that it never stops. You're never there. Even when you massively succeed on a goal you've set, you've always got another decision to make! ;-)

What's great is this. A decision is not a tattoo. It is not engraved in marble. You can make always adjustments once you decide. You can make it work.

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I had to look up the template at the end of the article for a new client and I thought I'd repost this just in case you need some help putting together your next high-impact presentation. This post is a guide for your brilliant self out there in a bigger way -- an easy step-by-step checklist you use to put together a compelling and engaging presentation. Below the article see the free template you can download; it's a presentation cheat sheet. With all the digitalized communication channels available to us, speaking face to face before a group is by far the MOST powerful way to get your message out. There are several reasons for this. Read more »

I just got back from a marketing workshop held by my mentor, Christine Kane for a few days and she's made an excellent analogy about leadership. She says, "Be a thermostat, not a thermometer."

Cool, right?

The same thing applies to your presentations and your communication in general: you can reflect the other person's energy level or you can firmly set yourself at a high level and allow the audience to catch up to you.

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A question for you: If you wanted to ask a specific question to someone in a company, would you burst into the company reception area, jump up and down screaming, "HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME?" Probably you're thinking, "Does she mean 'with meds' or 'without meds'?"

Most of you probably would not run into another person's office screaming simply because you don't have the time. Some of you, however, send emails that have the same effect: they create a lot of noise and annoyance but don't really get you anywhere. Lucky for all of us here you have easy email etiquette in one short blog post. Getting this down is absolutely essential leadership communication!

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