Author Archives: Larry Janis

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these 6 questions, you’re more successful than you think

 

 

 

by Scott Mautz

 

What if I told you that unleashing success starts with realizing how successful you already are?

It’s true. As a leadership and success expert I get asked a lot about “keys to success.” My first response is always: “Before you start changing, adding, or subtracting, spend some time appreciating.”

Success is more than just how much money you make, what job title you’ve achieved, or what accomplishments you’ve stacked up. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but true success is broader. It’s about the kind of life you’re living and who you’ve chosen to become.

When you think about success in a more holistic way, it requires resilience, confidence, and other aspects of mental strength I talk about in depth in my recent book, “The Mentally Strong Leader.”

A true measure of success requires introspection on a set of questions beyond the typical “how much” and “how high” metrics. If you can answer “yes” to the following six questions, you’re more successful — right now — than you may have realized.

1. Do you live your values?

The little things you do every day exemplify who you are. The little impressions you make leave a big, permanent impression. The question is: Do you choose to behave in line with your values? For example, if a core value is kindness, are you consistently kind, even when it’s hard?

Intentionally living your values shows you’re centered and disciplined, and both are forms of success. Doing this is no small feat — it’s not easy to clearly articulate your values, let alone intentionally live them.

If you’d like to start by articulating your values, there’s an exercise in “The Mentally Strong Leader” to help you do just that.

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Why Modern Leadership Requires Influence Beyond the Boardroom

 

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.by Lindsay Yaw Rogers

Today’s leaders can’t just be good at their jobs — they have to be exceptional at so much more. Once upon a time, leadership was about managing revenue, operations and owning the company message from the top down. The job was clear: Steer the ship, own the brand, deliver results.

 

But the game has changed.

Modern leadership now demands more than just business acumen; it’s about influence, authenticity and connection — both inside and outside the boardroom. Today’s leaders are expected to be vulnerable but strong; direct but empathetic; transparent but curated; productive but delegatory; professional yet human. It’s a delicate balancing act, and when leaders fail to strike that balance, the consequences reverberate across the entire company.

Why? Because today’s ambitious rising stars — the ones eyeing the C-suite — aren’t satisfied with simply doing the job. They want influence, recognition and the opportunity to make a real impact. They don’t just want a seat at the table; they want to feel irreplaceable. Old-school leadership models that prioritize productivity alone don’t motivate this generation. They need human connection, creative engagement and a sense of ownership over their work to stay energized.

When leadership falls short, this high-potential talent walks. And that’s expensive — turnover costs up to two times an employee’s salary and throws organizations into a tailspin. It’s a talent drain that no company can afford, especially in today’s competitive landscape.

Here’s the kicker: In the fast-paced world of business, innovation isn’t just about what you’re selling — it’s about how you’re leading. A C-suite executive’s personal brand is now just as critical as the corporate brand. Thought leadership, the ability to shape narratives and influence your industry, has become the secret weapon of truly innovative companies. Executives who act as intellectual powerhouses aren’t just driving their teams — they’re shaping the market itself. (more…)

The 10 Attributes of Wildly Successful People You Should Memorize Now

 

 

 

 

 

by Lambeth Hochwald

 

We all know people who seem to be accomplished in their every pursuit. So it’s especially interesting to read a 2017 British study that drills into the ten attributes that make people extra good at what they do. And they all have a few things in common. For starters, they identify and understand their strengths when pursuing a goal, says Amanda Potter, the lead researcher, founder, and managing director at Zircon Management Consulting, a business psychology company in England. High achievers also tend to be motivated by a negative or positive life event, and they credit their success to having someone in their life who believed in them. After conducting interviews with 42 high-achievers, including a range of CEOs, entrepreneurs, sports stars, and media personalities, Potter concluded that we all have a different combination of winning attributes—in other words, no two winners are exactly the same—however, all successful people have some or all of ten specific attributes. “For example, it may be your single-minded focus and determination or it might be your curiosity and willingness to disrupt the current situation that makes you successful,” she says. Read on as our two experts explain why the qualities that engender success and why they’re so key.

Burning ambition

Successful people are driven to achieve their goals, but for the ultra-successful there’s an even bigger mandate, says Isaura Gonzalez, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City. “Burning ambition takes into account the desire to hit your mark each and every time as well as an unrelenting desire to be the best of the best.

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Orchestrating Harmony Through Outsourcing

 

 

 

 

by Randy Wong, Forbes Councils Member

 

 

All nonprofit leaders understand just how crucial it is to work efficiently while paying close attention to the way financial and human resources are being used. Hiring additional team members to fulfill every operational need can become extremely costly, but staying understaffed can lead to employee burnout, resentment, a lack of clarity in roles and, worst of all, focus displaced from the organization’s mission. To avoid this, consider outsourcing select experts as an extension of your team.

Outsourcing can bring in helpful outside perspectives, ideas and proficiencies and can empower you and your staff to focus on the organization’s real purpose.

A Musical Analogy

In symphony orchestras, each instrument plays a specific role and part in the music. Most orchestral musicians specialize in just one of those instruments, even though there is some shared, transferrable knowledge. (Most cellists do not play double bass, nor would a trumpeter be adept at the French horn.) While there are situations where an orchestra might hire a “doubler” who can play more than one instrument, in most cases it’s more efficient to let people stick to their primary instrument and hire a specialist for anything else. The same is true with outsourcing.

Why Outsourcing Works

While outsourcing looks different for every company, here are four ways it allows us to expand our impact and realize our mission:

• Supports Expansion: Outsourcing deepens the bench and allows certain roles or tasks to be offloaded so that employees can focus on their particular subject or content area and so they can stay directly connected to its mission, services and stakeholders.

• Aids Retention of Human Capital: When an organization expands and/or when finances are tight, leaders may choose to split the added work between current employees. Sometimes, this extra work is not what these employees specialize in or what they were hired to do. Staff will often experience burnout and/or question their role and purpose within the organization, leading to churn. (more…)

Master These 4 Talking Points To Ace Your Job Interview

 

 

 

 

by Sho Dewan

 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve done it hundreds of times before, job interviews will always be nerve-wracking. There are a lot of variables to consider — from the way you look to whether or not you arrived on time to the stories you tell.

But what’s even more crucial is to ensure that your conversation with the interviewer flows naturally. Because not everyone is a natural conversationalist, it’s still better to practice ahead of time and have a good idea of what you want to say to ensure a positive impression.

It’s worth noting that no two interviewers will be the same. While many will stick to the prescribed questions, others may test your ability to think on your feet by asking curveball questions. But if you can master these four talking points, then you should be well-equipped to ace just about every job interview.

Small Talk

Most people treat small talk as a mere formality, a way to fill the awkward silence before diving into a real conversation. As a result, they try to skip this part of the interaction to get to the “real” discussion faster, viewing small talk as unnecessary and superficial.

While there might be some truth to that sentiment, it’s far better to know how to engage in small talk than not. This is especially true with job interviews, where small talk can help you establish rapport and leave a lasting good impression.

Engaging in small talk is excellent at establishing rapport because it helps to create a sense of familiarity and ease between the interviewer and the candidate. With the job market being this tough, you may likely be competing with hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants, so you want to be as memorable as possible.

Make it a point to give more than one-word answers to even the simplest questions, and try to incorporate elements of your personality or interests into the conversation. For example, if your interviewer asks you how you’re doing, avoid giving a noncommittal “I’m good.” Instead, you can say that you feel energized after your morning run or excited to know more about the company!

The ability to do small talk is a good sign that someone possesses excellent people skills. As a former recruiter myself, I can confidently say that between two candidates of similar skills and experience, the one who was more engaging in interviews is most likely to get the role. (more…)