- Do not judge, lest ye be judged.
- Never judge yourself, either.
- You can’t control what people think about you – stop caring so much about it.
- Having no ego is the closest thing to having a superpower.
- Go with the flow. Let the universe cook.
- Always pick up the phone and call. Don’t be lazy and send a slack message. Written communication is often misinterpreted, and spoken communication always punches above its weight.
- Nothing is ever going as wrong as it seems. And even if it is, it’s always fine. Everything is going to be okay.
- Admit when you don’t know something, and refrain from knowing something absolutely.
- Hire smart people so that they can tell you what to do, not the other way around.
- Always, always listen first.
- 90% of any conflict or uncertainty is emotional in nature, and simply needs a release valve.
- Listen for as long as you need until the real problem reveals itself.
- Vehemently reassure, but only after listening.
- People don’t usually need you to solve their problems. They only need you to listen to them and feel like they are not alone.
- Persuade through stories, and don’t forget, stories are nothing without direct quotes.
- Give examples of everything.
- Use social proof whenever possible. Sell through the vantage point of others. We hear this and our clients tell us that. People tend not to question messengers. Be a messenger not a preacher.
- Everything is up for negotiation.
- Never, no matter what, negotiate against yourself.
- Never present a negotiation as if it is a negotiation. Begin negotiations as if your truth is the foregone conclusion.
- Positioning, in everything, is everything.
- Always control the narrative – the narrative is what you make it, and objective truth is largely inaccessible. Your situation can always be communicated and interpreted as one where it was your decision. Volition can always be retro-fitted. When given the opportunity to communicate impactful information, take it.
- Sell pain-killers, not vitamins.
- Unless you are going to do it yourself, get out of the way. And trust people to get it done.
- Always pre-syndicate consensus. Talk to people individually first.
- Realty is yours to create and if you believe it strongly enough, others will feel compelled to believe you. This is how you create a reality distortion field.
- Don’t price in future failures or obstacles before they happen. Don’t price in wins either, but expect them.
- Under-promise, over-deliver. Always.
- Don’t talk poorly about people.
