at can we learn about human nature and the way the world works from reading history? This has been the territory of Robert Greene. He is the New York Times bestselling author of 48 Laws Of Power, The Art of Seduction, and Mastery, among other books. Combining the lessons of thousands of years, what do you learn about the fundamental subjects of seduction, power and mastery? I called Robert to find out. Seduction What's at the root of seduction? Surprise. Robert…
o Hasn't Wanted To Be Cool? We've all wanted to be cool. But research shows that it's not merely a shallow desire. Cool makes a difference in life. For instance, charismatic leaders bring out people's best. Via The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism: If you’re a leader, or aspire to be one, charisma matters. It gives you a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the very best talent. It makes people want to…
eryone reveres The Art of War. 1500 years old, this ancient Chinese text is still utilized by both militaries and business schools around the world. And it should be -- research shows these unconventional tactics work. When Davids don't fight by Goliaths' rules they win 63% of battles. Via David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants: When the political scientist Ivan Arreguín-Toft did the calculation a few years ago, what he came up with was 71.5…
metimes your job can really be a grind -- but quitting isn't always a realistic option. So what can you do to become happier with the job you have? Here are four stories from the latest research that can make your job more meaningful and make you happier at the office. Change Your Job Description Cleaning the floors in a hospital isn't anyone's dream job. Emptying trash cans in patient rooms doesn't feel special or important. But what if you had…
thing can improve your performance like solid feedback can. However, none of us likes being criticized, judged, or told what to do. And our first instinct is usually to ignore feedback or even do the opposite. I never said life was simple, folks. Dan Coyle, author of The Talent Code, and Cal Newport, author of So Good They Can’t Ignore You, both consider feedback essential to peak performance. Merely being the kind of person who seeks out feedback is linked to…
erything You Know About Neuroscience is Wrong Here's a fancy brain picture for you: Research says that's likely to make you think I know what I'm talking about -- even if I don't. Via The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us: In one clever experiment, David McCabe and Alan Castel had subjects read one of two descriptions of a fictitious research study. The text was identical, but one description was accompanied by a typical three-dimensional brain image with activated areas drawn…
ere's A Right Way To Learn Want to be more successful? Actually, that's not ambitious enough -- want to be the best? I do. So I called my friend Daniel Coyle, author of the best books on getting better at anything: The Talent Code and The Little Book of Talent. Dan knows that the "10,000 hour rule" is nice but you need to align your effort with the way your brain was designed to learn. Hours are vital but you can get to mastery faster…
ading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. It has nothing to do with swords, fighting or strategy. Actually, quite the opposite when you think about it. What did so many of history's greatest warriors stress as key to success and optimal performance? "Being calm." And it wasn't one random samurai mentioning it off the cuff. We're talking about some of the greatest samurai who ever lived writing about…
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