Rob Biesenbach 
I’m not one of those who considered Ronald Reagan “The Great Communicator” or even a great communicator. He was a good communicator, certainly, but no more so than I would expect from a successful politician and actor. His speech in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster was especially moving. He could deliver a well-timed one-liner, … Read more
Chris Farley used to do this great bit on SNL, where he played this typically rumpled character who bemoans his lack of communication skills. As he catalogues his various deficiencies, he punctuates each one with great, sausage-fingered air quotes: Maybe I’m not “the norm,” I’m not “camera friendly.” I don’t “wear clothes that fit me,” … Read more
When Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, it electrified the audience gathered on Washington’s mall and inspired the nation. Almost 50 years later, it still shines as one of the great pieces of rhetoric from the 20th Century. But you might be surprised to know that on that summer day … Read more
Even the Big Sur coastline of California has its moments of imperfection. But they’re mostly man-made. And since vacation is no time to let down your grammar/usage guard, I endangered myself and others in order to snap this photo and pass along an invaluable lesson. Insure should be reserved for insurance matters. Like if you … Read more
This is the first in a series of videos we’re doing to bring the Act Like You Mean Business lessons to life. It’s basically a condensed and “out-loud” version of The Fugitive story, which is one of my favorites from the book. There are so many lessons from that one scene: Focus on what’s essential … Read more
I’m getting a sense of deja vu from this article [link no longer available] about Tina Fey’s book, Bossypants. The author applies lessons from Fey’s book to business. Several of his points hit on things I discuss in my own book, including the “agreement” and “yes, and” concepts you learn in improv: Fey explains that the … Read more
I admire this instructor’s self-control. I might have slapped the little twit. I have no regrets about my English major. Indeed, I’m proud of it and have actually found it helpful in my career. It helped with my writing, but mostly it sharpened my analytical skills. When you’re picking apart every phrase or even every … Read more
Seven months ago I acted in a corporate video that was creative, evocative and inspiring. Six months ago I acted in a second version of the video based on a revised script. Yesterday I acted in version three. Not surprisingly, the video did not get better with each iteration. It got more wordy, more specific, … Read more
There’s a critical scene in one of my favorite movies, The Fugitive. Dr. Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford) is the man wrongly accused of killing his wife. Tommy Lee Jones is the federal marshal sworn to bring him to justice. When they have their big confrontation down in the bowels of that giant hydroelectric … Read more
I went to an industry event today where there was a guest speaker. I thinkthere was some value to the substance of his presentation, but it was very hard to tell because I was so turned off by the style, which was forecast by three things he did at the very top: He announced that … Read more